[Anastomotic ulcer after vagotomy for duodenal ulcer].

Between January 1981 and December 2000, 2609 patient underwent surgery for duodenal ulcer. 2274 underwent isolated vagotomy; 1590 had vagotomy associated with GI anastomosis. Only relapses of anostomic ulcers after vagotomy associated with gastrojejunal anastomosis were included in this study. 22 patients (20 males, 2 females) aged between 26 and 79 years had anastomic ulcer relapses (1.38%) after vagotomy and GI anastomosis. Incomplete vagotomy was diagnosed in 14 cases (93%) associated with a defect in setting in 2 cases. Despite the ongoing controversy about the role of Helicobacter in the pathogenesis of anastomotic ulcers, medical treatment remains the primary therapy, and a partial gastrectomy alone or with vagotomy is necessary only in unresponsive cases.