An overview of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic vagotomy

The development of laparoscopic surgery in the past few years has been truly explosive. Techniques developed in laparoscopic cholecystectomy are also applied to other operations in the abdomen. Vagotomy can be performed expediently laparoscopically. However, the advent of effective ulcer drugs has decreased the demand for elective surgery, especially since ulcer disease can now be cured with a short course of anti-Helicobacter treatment. We review the role of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic vagotomy in the light of these developments.