Is vagotomy still a common surgery?

No, it has been largely replaced by pharmaceutical treatments (like proton-pump inhibitors) and Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

What are the side effects of vagotomy?

Potential side effects include delayed gastric emptying, diarrhoea, and dumping syndrome, where food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine.

Can you have a partial vagotomy?

Yes, procedures like 'highly selective vagotomy' or 'parietal cell vagotomy' aim to sever only the nerve fibres supplying the acid-producing part of the stomach.

What is the difference between truncal and selective vagotomy?

Truncal vagotomy severs the main trunk(s) of the vagus nerve, while selective vagotomy severs only the branches leading to the stomach, preserving innervation to other abdominal organs.

vagotomy

C2+

UK/veɪˈɡɒtəmi/US/veɪˈɡɑːtəmi/

Specialized/Medical

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A surgical operation cutting a branch of the vagus nerve.

The surgical severing or resection of part of the vagus nerve, typically performed to reduce acid secretion in the stomach, often as a treatment for peptic ulcers.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Always refers to a surgical procedure. A highly technical term with no common figurative or extended uses.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Terminology identical; spelling standard. The procedural details or historical frequency of the operation may differ slightly between medical communities.

Connotations

Purely clinical, with no regional connotative differences.

Frequency

Extremely low frequency in general discourse. Slightly more common in historical medical contexts, as the procedure is less frequent today due to pharmaceutical treatments.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

truncal vagotomyparietal cell vagotomyselective vagotomyperform a vagotomyunderwent vagotomy

medium

surgical vagotomyvagotomy and pyloroplastyproximal gastric vagotomyhistory of vagotomy

weak

complete vagotomyvagotomy patientfailed vagotomy

Grammar

Valency Patterns

patient + undergo + vagotomysurgeon + perform + vagotomy + on + patient

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

truncal vagotomy (specific type)

Neutral

vagus nerve sectionvagus nerve resection

Weak

nerve-cutting surgery (general)

Vocabulary

Antonyms

vagus nerve stimulationvagus nerve sparing

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in medical history, surgical textbooks, and gastroenterology research papers.

Everyday

Virtually never used outside of a patient's specific medical history.

Technical

Core term in surgical gastronomy and historical treatments for peptic ulcer disease.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

The vagotomy procedure is now largely historical.

American English

Post-vagotomy complications can include dumping syndrome.

Examples

By CEFR Level

The old medical report mentioned a vagotomy, which confused the patient.

Before the discovery of H. pylori, truncal vagotomy was a standard surgical intervention for intractable duodenal ulcers.
The surgeon opted for a highly selective vagotomy to minimise post-operative side effects.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

"VAGO-tomy" – think "VAGus nerve + -TOMY" (a cutting procedure).

Conceptual Metaphor

SURGERY IS A CUTTING/SEVERING ACTION.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid direct root translation; 'vagotomiya' is the exact equivalent, but the term is equally technical in Russian.

Common Mistakes

Misspelling as 'vagatomy' or 'vagatomy'.
Confusing it with 'vasectomy'.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

In the mid-20th century, a common surgical treatment for severe peptic ulcers was a , which involved cutting the vagus nerve.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of a vagotomy?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it has been largely replaced by pharmaceutical treatments (like proton-pump inhibitors) and Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.
: Potential side effects include delayed gastric emptying, diarrhoea, and dumping syndrome, where food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine.
: Yes, procedures like 'highly selective vagotomy' or 'parietal cell vagotomy' aim to sever only the nerve fibres supplying the acid-producing part of the stomach.
: Truncal vagotomy severs the main trunk(s) of the vagus nerve, while selective vagotomy severs only the branches leading to the stomach, preserving innervation to other abdominal organs.