Disturbed enterogastric inhibitory reflex after esophageal resection and narrow gastric tube reconstruction

Background/Aims: The gastric emptying pattern after esophageal resection and narrow gastric tube reconstruction is determined by multiple factors. One of the possible factors is a disruption in the neurohumoral enterogastric inhibitory reflex. The aim of the present study was to determine the possible alterations of this reflex after esophageal resection and narrow gastric tube reconstruction. Methods: Nine patients each underwent two gastric tube emptying studies, one without and one with high caloric duodenal tube feeding. The dual isotope scintigraphic data were corrected for subject movement, radionuclide decay, downscatter and gamma-ray attenuation. Results: The median gastric tube emptying rate of solid food was 57%/h (range 27–195). The median T½ of liquid food was 67 (range 4–>80) min. Both for solid and for liquid food, the gastric tube emptying patterns without and with duodenal tube feeding were not significantly different. Conclusion: The neurohumoral enterogastric inhibitory reflex is disrupted after esophageal resection and narrow gastric tube reconstruction, which may contribute to disturbed gastric emptying.