Selective proximal vagotomy. A preliminary report.

Eearly results of a prospective clinical trial of selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) with or without pyloroplasty are reported. The total number of patients was 41, of whom 39 had chronic duodenal ulcer, one gastric ulcer and one heamorrhage gastritis. The follow-up period in our preliminary series now averages 18 months. Recurrent duodenal ulcer appeared in two patients with proved incomplete vagotomy (5%), and two other patients suffered postoperatively from gastric retention. All the symptomatic patients underwent SPV without pyloroplasty. The promising early results warrant continuation of our trial in order to asses the role of SPV in the surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer.