The effect of proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) on gastric blood flow has been evaluated endoscopically by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in 12 patients with duodenal ulcer. The gastric wall circulation was examined at 7 defined positions in all subjects prior to surgery, 1 week postoperatively, and after 3 months. For comparison, 21 healthy volunteers were also examined by LDF.
In all the investigated areas of the stomach, the blood flow values were lower in the unoperated duodenal ulcer patients than in the controls. In both groups, the blood circulation was significantly lower at the lesser curvature than at the greater curvature.
Seven days after PGV, the blood flow was reduced 30% in the devascularized part of the lesser curvature. After 3 months, the flow values were similar to the preoperative ones. The gastric acid secretion was significantly reduced at 3 months.
Postoperatively, one patient developed a gastric ulcer in the dissected area of the lesser curvature. This patient had lower flow values along the lesser curvature than the other patients after 7 days.
The results of this study show that PGV leads to a temporary reduction of blood flow at the lesser curvature. This regional decrease in blood flow is probably not an important factor for the reduced acid secretion measured after PGV.