Effect of highly selective vagotomy on gastric emptying

Our objective was to study the gastric motility after highly selective vagotomy (HSV) by determining the gastric emptying rates of isotonic saline and glucose. In 15 controls and 15 patients after HSV, 750 ml of saline and glucose respectively were introduced into the stomach with an interval of two hours. Twenty minutes after each infusion had been started the content of the stomach were aspirated. Phenol red was added as a marker in order to obtain information about the amount of gastric secretion plus possible duodenal regurgitation. In the controls the mean volume of gastric contents recovered was 208 ml after saline and 539 ml after glucose. The corresponding mean volume of test meal remaining was 158 ml after saline and 465 ml after glucose. In patients after HSV the figures for gastric contents were 81 ml after saline and 303 ml after glucose and for meals remaining 59 ml after saline and 259 ml after glucose. The data indicate that HSV speeds the gastric emptying of liquids, while liquids of different compositons are still emptied at different rates, indicating the preservation of a control of the gastric emptying.