Parietal cell vagotomy. A 23-year study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors studied the long-term ulcer recurrence rate after elective parietal cell vagotomy (PCV) for duodenal, pyloric, or prepyloric ulcers.


BACKGROUND
Recurrent ulceration rates of around 10% are reported after PCV. Recurrence rates are, however, proportional to the duration of follow-up. Series presenting long-term follow-up are sparse in the literature.


METHODS
From 1969 to 1979, 350 patients underwent elective PCV. Three hundred forty-seven accessible patients were observed prospectively at intervals of 1 to 5 years to detect recurrent ulcers. The median duration of follow-up was 140.2 months (range 1 month-22.75 years).


RESULTS
Seventy-six of the 347 patients (21.9%) developed recurrent ulcers. Calculation of the integrated ulcer recurrence rate indicates a constant monthly recurrence risk of 0.16%. Recurrences occurred as late as 17 3/4 years after operation. Eighty per cent of the recurrences occurred after 10 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that the rate of recurrent ulceration after PCV is proportional to the duration of follow-up.
Meisner
S
S
Department of Surgery I, Kommunehospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hoffmann
J
J
Jensen
H E
HE
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000601:surgery; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011706:Pyloric Antrum; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000601:surgery; D014629:Vagotomy, Proximal Gastric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*