Gastric emptying of liquids after highly selective vagotomy for duodenal ulcer

In a group of clinical patients with duodenal ulcer submitted to highly selective vagotomy, gastric emptying studies were performed pre-operatively and 2 weeks and 6 months after surgery. A standard liquid meal labeled with radioactive technetium was used for scanning. In this group of duodenal ulcer patients, no abnormal emptying was noted prior to surgery as compared with controls. After highly selective vagotomy, the gastric emptying time for liquids was statistically shorter as compared with preoperative values. It is concluded that highly selective vagotomy may be the operative treatment of choice for duodenal ulcer patients with respect to acid secretion, but that it alters gastric motility and emptying significantly.