Book reviews
Techniques of Vagotomy A. G . Johnson and K. W . Reynolds. 210 x 150 mm. Pp. 8 5 i viii. Illustrated. 1979. London: Edward Arnold. f5.95. VAGOTOMY in various forms is very widely used today, and the sophisticated form-proximal gastric vagotomy-is now widely advocated. A clear description is welcome. In this little ring-bound booklet the three main var,iants of vagotomy are illustrated by an excellent series of drawings with the minimum of linking text, highlighting problems and difficulties.
Brevity is admirable, but in a work of this type that should be kept in the operating theatre, it is a pity that the intraoperative tests of completeness of vagotomy introduced by Burge and Grassi are not described fully though references are given; incidentally, these are the only references in the whole text. Indications, results and complications are not discussed. It is a pity perhaps that lesser curve necrosis and the value of reperitonealization of the lesser curve are not mentioned. The authors' own work on ensuring completeness of parietal cell denervation receives no mention and there is no mention of the use or non-use of nasogastric tubes or of the important point that proper clearance of the vagi from the oesophagus cannot