ANATOMIC CONSIDERATIONS OF GASTRIC NEURECTOMY

Abstract

At the February meeting of the Central Surgical Association, one of us (Walters) discussed with Dr. Edwin Miller of Chicago the problem of division of the vagus nerves in treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Dr. Miller said that from dissection of approximately thirty vagus nerves he had been astonished to find great variation of distribution of these nerves in the vicinity of the diaphragm. He expressed the belief that the patterns of distribution should be assembled in groups with the idea of determining whether or not all the gastric branches of the vagus nerves or the gastric nerves could be removed successfully by transabdominal approach. He suggested that we at the Mayo Clinic might collaborate in such a study. The possibility of carrying out the study was discussed with Dr. J. W. Kernohan of the Section on Pathologic Anatomy and the work was begun with a survey of the