Experimental Study on Degeneration and Regeneration of the Intramural Nerve Elements in the Mongrel Dogs after Selective Proximal Vagotomy Combined with Transgastric Mytomy

Hiroshi Fujimasa

First Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine

To study the involvement of nerve regeneration in recurrence of ulcers after vagotomy, morphologic changes of the intramural nerve elements in the stomach were observed by light and electron microscopy over a maximum of 4 years after selective proximal vagotomy combined with transgastric myotomy and the effect of acid reduction by gastric analysis. Histomorphological observation revealed long term degeneration and defluxion of the nerves at the inferior TGM and amputation neuroma at the superior TGM after a long period had passed. These findings indicate that although the capacity for regeneration existed at the edge of the nerve, it could not always become a recommunication path to compatible tissue, and thus there was little possibility for regeneration of the nerve. Because the effect of acid reduction continued, sufficiently expanded surgery like SPV+TGM as applied in this study was considered not to lead to functional regenaration.

Key words
selective proximal vagotomy, transgastric myotomy, amputation neuroma, regeneration of the nerve, degeneration of the nerve

Reprint requests
Hiroshi Fujimasa First Department of Surgery, Kurume University of Medicine
67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830 JAPAN

Accepted
September 12, 1990

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