Vagotomy

Peptic ulcer disease was for years a common indication for surgery in Danish hospitals and considerable experience in partial gastrectomy was gained. In spite of an unquestionable mortality rate and a number of patients having postgastrectomy complaints, results were generally recognized as acceptable. Danish surgeons were for long reluctant to take up vagotomy and drainage as a primary ulcer operation, but when they did start a large number of procedures were performed. In fact, the use of this treatment culminated during two to three decades. However, on a basis of experiences from these years, Danish research contributed actively to the international evolution of the surgical vagotomy technique, the evaluation of clinical results and the studies of postoperative alterations in gastric physiology. References are selected from an extensive literature and are in no way complete.