Parietal cell vagotomy without drainage for the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

PVC without drainage for the treatment of duodenal ulcer is a safe procedure. There are fewer gastrointestinal complaints of the type frequently observed after more orthodox gastric surgery. Diarrhea and dumping may be noted after PCV but the incidence of both is less, and when they do occur they are milder and more easily controlled than after other types of operations. The ultimate recurrent ulcer rate remains unresolved because insufficient time for observation and follow-up has elapsed. Since most recurrent ulcers that occur after other gastric procedures present within the first two years after operation, the documentation by several authors of a recurrent ulcer rate of 2-4% in patients followed two to four years after operation suggests that PCV is a highly effective procedure. Yet the high recurrence rates of 22% reported by one group indicates that the operation is not highly effective for everyone. The factors responsible for the discrepancy between the high and low recurrence rates reported by different authors are not evident at this time.