Proximal gastric vagotomy has been accepted as the procedure of choice for the elective surgical treatment of chronic duodenal ulcers, being the safest operation when considering morbidity and mortality. Its application has been extended to duodenal to complicated ulcer means of a complementary operation aiming to solve the complication. With the aim of evaluating the proximal gastric vagotomy in the treatment of stenosing duodenal ulcers the clinical results of 80 consecutive patients treated with proximal gastric vagotomy plus vagotomy (VGP + Dp) were compared to those of a series of 106 patients submitted to selective gastric vagotomy plus antrectomy (VGS + A). These patients were evaluated for a period of 2 to 16 years after surgery. The series were homogeneous related in gender and age. Five different types of duodenoplast were performed, according to anatomic characteristics of the stenosed duodenum. In the VGS + A group the reconstruction of alimentary tract was gastroduodenal in 46 patients and gastrojejunal in 60 patients. Post operative endoscopic control showed patency of the duodenal lumen and preserved pyloric sphincter in the patients submitted to duodenoplaty. Ulcer recurrence ocurred in 5% after VGP + Dp and in 1,9% after VGS + A. Late postoperative complications such as diarrhea dumping and bilious vomiting were more frequent and more severe among the patients treated with VGS + A. Bilious vomiting did not occur and dumping and diarrhea were rare, mild and transitory after VGP + Dp. The overall clinical assessment, according to Visick classification, showed excelent results in 73% of the patients with VGP + Dp and in 42% of the patients with VGS + A; excelent and good result were found in 87% of the patients of the first group and in 76% of the second group. The better performance of proximal gastric vagotomy, with less frequent side effects and milder and transitory late complications, turns 5% to 10% ulcer recurrence tolerable and makes it acceptable as the operation of choice for the treatment of uncomplicated chronic duodenal ulcer.
stenosing duodenal ulcer; proximal gastric vagotomy; duodenoplasty
