Transthoracic vagotomy for postoperative peptic ulcer. Effects on basal, sham feeding- and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion, and on clinical outcome.

Transthoracic vagotomy was performed in 16 patients with postoperative peptic ulcer diagnosed by endoscopy. Transabdominal vagotomy had been attempted at a previous operation in 10 patients. Five patients had been treated previously by subtotal gastrectomy without vagotomy and one had had gastrojejunostomy without vagotomy. Three of the 16 patients had had no previous gastric resection. Before transthoracic vagotomy, the ratio of sham feeding-stimulated acid output (SAO) to peak pentagastrin-stimulated acid output (PAO) was greater than 0.10 in each patient, suggesting intact vagal innervation of the stomach (mean ratio: 0.44; range: 0.17-0.79). After transthoracic vagotomy, SAO and PAO decreased by 98 +/- 1% and 73 +/- 8%, respectively. There was no operative mortality, and a clinically important postoperative complication developed in only one patient. Two patients had delayed gastric emptying transiently, and three have developed diarrhea. No patient has developed recurrent peptic ulceration or ulcer complications during a mean follow-up period of 3.9 years (range: 1.0-7.5 years). This study indicates that: (1) sham feeding is useful for identifying patients to undergo transthoracic vagotomy, and (2) transthoracic vagotomy is a safe and effective means of reducing acid secretion and preventing peptic ulcer recurrence, regardless of previous operation.