Gastric emptying after fundoplication with and without proximal gastric vagotomy
G. G. Jamieson, G. J. Maddern and J. C. Myers
Department of Surgery, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Fifty-four patients having antireflux surgery (20 fundoplication alone
[group 1] and 34 fundoplication with proximal gastric vagotomy [group 2],
had their gastric emptying assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. At
3 years after operation, in group 1, the emptying of a solid meal was
significantly accelerated. In contrast, no such acceleration in solid
emptying was observed in group 2. Liquid emptying was significantly
accelerated in both groups of patients postoperatively. No consistent
relationship was found between symptomatic outcome and gastric emptying in
either group of patients. We conclude that proximal vagotomy interferes
with reflex pathways that are involved in the acceleration of solid gastric
emptying after fundoplication.
