[Truncal vagotomy in duodenal ulcer (author's transl)]

Since 1961, the authors have treated 369 patients for a duodenal ulcer. Emergency operation was performed in 69 cases (mortality: 7.2 percent) and elective operation in 300 (mortality: 0.86 percent. Procedures associated truncal vagotomy to hemigastrectomy (257 cases), to pyloroplasty (85 cases) or to gastroenterostomy (27 cases). Three hundred and thirty-nine patients were followed for an average of 8 years. The authors preferred truncal vagotomy associated to hemigastrectomy. This yielded excellent long term results (Visick I) in 89 percent of cases (221 out of 246 reviewed cases), with a very low mortality rate (3 out of 257 or 1.2%) and without known recurrence. (Acta chir. belg., 1976, 75, 294-305).