Nerve regeneration in the anterior gastric wall after gastrotomy and posterior truncal vagotomy in the rat

: A study was made to compare nerve regeneration of the anterior gastric wall following either seromyotomy or gastrotomy with eversion suturing; both approaches extending from the antrum to the fundus. Twenty-eight preadult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Group I (control: sham operated animals; n = 8); Group II (seromyotomy with posterior truncal vagotomy; n = 10); and Group III (gastrotomy with posterior truncal vagotomy; n = 10). Nerve regeneration was evaluated immunohistochemically two months after the operation. Groups II and III presented gastric dilatation postmortem. Both groups showed complete denervation of the anterior gastric wall, with no vagal fibers crossing the section line. Amputation neuromas and Schwann cells were commonly observed. In conclusion, both seromyotomy and gastrotomy are efficient methods for denervating the anterior gastric wall.