Ulceration and necrosis of the gastric wall after highly selective vagotomy.

With reference to the case-histories of nine patients with necrosis of the gastric wall and to other data culled from the literature, the hypothesis is advanced that occasionally the gastric ulcer may be the result of ischemia of the lesser curvature caused by the devascularization which is part of the HSV procedure, and that such an ulcer and necrosis of the gastric wall are both consequences of ischemia, differing only in degree.