Highly selective vagotomy or truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty for chronic duodenal ulceration: a randomized, prospective clinical study.

The results of a randomized, prospective clinical trial of highly selective vagotomy (HSV) versus truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP) in 126 male patients undergoing elective surgery for chronic duodenal ulceration are presented. The operations were performed by surgeons of all grades of experience. At a mean follow-up time of just over 3 years a satisfactory result was obtained in 93 per cent of patients following HSV and 78 per cent of patients following TVP, the difference being probably statistically significant (P less than 0.05). The incidence of early and late dumping, bile vomiting, flatulence, post-prandial epigastric discomfort and wound infection was statistically significantly less after HSV than after TVP. Three patients have developed a recurrent duodenal ulcer after each type of operation (5.4 per cent). At this early stage HSV has advantages over TVP; it will be interesting to see if these are maintained with the passage of time.