LAPAROSCOPIC HIGHLY SELECTIVE VAGOTOMY - TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS ANDPRELIMINARY-RESULTS IN 119 PATIENTS WITH DUODENAL-ULCER OR GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE

The technical considerations and preliminary results of 119 patients s ubmitted to laparoscopic highly selective vagotomy are presented. Ther e were 33 with duodenal ulcers, 31 with duodenal ulcers pl!us gastroes ophageal. reflux, and 55 with gastroesophageal reflux. Operating time varied from 120 to 160 minutes. Six complications occurred: four perfo rations of the gastric fundus and two bleeding episodes. Conversion to open surgery was done in four cases and reoperation in one case. No d eaths occurred, and the mean hospital stay was 3 days. The mean follow -up was 16 months, being 94% of the cases with Visick I or II and 6% w ith Visick III or IV. This technique is completely feasible by laparos copic procedure and reproduces exactly what has been done with the lap arotomy approach.