Inadequately reduced acid secretion after vagotomy for duodenal ulcer. A follow-up study three to nine years after surgery.

In a study of 545 patients who underwent vagotomies for repair of duodenal ulcers, 62 patients (11%) were found to have inadequately reduced pentapeptide and/or insulin-stimulated acid secretions three months after operation. The ulcers recurred in 14 patients within three to nine years (mean: four years) (23%, 95% confidence limits: 13-35). Postoperative acid production and acid reduction were equal in patients with and without ulcer recurrence. The patients who did not develop recurrent ulcers had significantly lower preoperative pentapeptide peak acid outputs and significantly shorter preoperative histories of ulcers than patients whose ulcers recurred.