A solid gastric emptying study was conducted on 46 patients more than 1 year after highly selective vagotomy (HSV) and additional procedures for obstructing duodenal ulcer and on 21 patients after HSV alone for uncomplicated duodenal ulcer. The additional procedures included dilatation (n = 14; HSV + D group), Holle pyloroplasty (n = 14; HSV + P group), and Jaboulay gastroduodenostomy (n = 18; HSV + GD group). The test meal consisted of two eggs labeled with 99mTc sulfur colloid, two slices of white bread toast, and 300 ml of orange juice (total 322 kcal). Gastric emptying curves and emptying parameters (t1/2, half emptying time; lag phase, TLAG; emptying rate, k; and beta value) were compared with those of 17 healthy volunteers, the normal control group. The patients after HSV alone had an almost normal gastric emptying. The HSV + D group showed a significant delay from minute 45 to the end of the emptying curve, corresponding to a longer t1/2 (p = 0.02), and a slower emptying rate (p = 0.029). The HSV + P group approached a nearly normal emptying curve, corresponding to an insignificant difference in emptying parameters. The HSV + GD group had significantly faster emptying from minute 15 to the end of the emptying curve, corresponding to a faster t1/2 (p = 0.0005), a shorter lag phase (p = 0.027), and a faster emptying rate (p = 0.021). Recurrent ulcerations were noted in one patient (4.8%) of the HSV alone group, five (35.7%) of the HSV + D group, one (7.1%) of the HSV + P group, and one (5.6%) of the HSV + GD group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)