Electrogastrographic characteristics in subjects with stomach remnant

Slow wave (SW) is an essential component in mediating stomach motility. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the SW characteristics in subjects with stomach remnant.

We consecutively enrolled 58 distal radical subtotal gastrectomy (RSG) patients (male/female: 44/14, age: 33-79 years) to receive an electrogastrographic (EGG) measurement. Their Helicobacter pylori status and dyspeptic score were simultaneously assessed. In addition, EGG data of 58 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were compared. Based on power spectral analysis, the following EGG parameters were derived: dominant frequency (DF)/power (DP), percentage of normal rhythm (2-4 cpm), power ratio (PR) referring the postprandial power change, etc.

Visual analysis occasionally found a short period of approximately 11 cpm myoelectricity-like rhythm. Distal RSG patients had lower fasting (1.90 +/- 0.69 vs 2.97 +/- 0.58 cpm, P < 0.001) and postprandial (2.03 +/- 0.72 vs 3.35 +/- 0.27 cpm, P < 0.001) DF values, while their fasting (36.2 +/- 22.3% vs 67.1 +/- 23.4%, P < 0.001) and postprandial (33.4 +/- 19.9% vs 82.2 +/- 16.7%, P < 0.001) percentages of normal rhythms were diminished. In contrast, fasting DP, its meal response and PR (2.99 +/- 2.40 vs 2.45 +/- 2.63, NS) were comparable to those of controls. Neither gender, age, type of gastroenterostomy, Helicobacter pylori colonization, dyspeptic score nor elapsed time after surgery had an obvious influence on EGG parameters.

Distal RSG patients may have decreased SW frequency and less meal ingestion changed EGG parameters in terms of SW frequency, normality and stability, whereas their EGG power remained unchanged irrespective of meal ingestion.