Complications of vagotomy.

Most operations performed for peptic ulcer disease in the United States include vagotomy as part of the surgical procedure. This paper reviews the complications associated specifically with or increased in frequency and severity by this procedure. Included in this review are technical complications, gastric retention, recurrent ulceration, postvagotomy diarrhea, postvagotomy dysphagia and achalasia, postvagotomy biliary disease and nutritional problems. The frequency of these complications, their pathophysiology and therapeutic modalities available are reviewed. The main emphasis is on postvagotomy syndrome that can be treated medically and on the various treatment forms that have been suggested.