The effects of highly selective vagotomy on exocrine pancreatic function in man.

Exocrine pancreatic function was studied after meal stimulation and intravenous hormone stimulation with secretin and cholecystokinin in 10 patients with duodenal ulcers before, and 3 to 4 months after, highly selective vagotomy. Hormone stimulation was also performed in 10 healthy volunteers. Meal stimulation test results pre- and postoperatively were not certainly different, but it was concluded that the test technique was inappropriate to the study, not least because no correction of aspirated volumes is possible. Such correction was possible in the intravenous hormone studies. A gastroduodenal tube with a balloon to occlude the pyloric canal was used, and tracer was infused into the duodenum. Results of this latter study showed that patients with duodenal ulcer display an increased basal secretion volume and an increased trypsin output during hormone stimulation. After highly selective vagotomy, basal secretion volume fell, tending to normal, while the stimulated secretion volume and bicarbonate and enzyme output were unchanged.