The effects of highly selective vagotomy on secretion and emptying of the stomach

The results of a prospective study of 60 patients with nonobstructive duodenal ulcer treated by highly selective vagotomy show that the gastric acid secretion postoperatively is effectively reduced. Judgment of completeness of highly selective vagotomy is only possible by means of an intragastric pH-metry during operation. The Hollander test answers it insufficiently. In a number of patients, highly selective vagotomy caused a fast initial phase of gastric emptying of porradge. The impression is that the contractional activity of the antrum has the same pattern before and after highly selective vagotomy.