Influence of a jejunal fistula on gastric emptying

The aim was to determine whether a proximal jejunal fistula would speed gastric emptying after truncal vagotomy and Roux distal gastrectomy. Eight vagotomy-gastrectomy dogs were studied; 4 had a jejunal fistula, and 4 other dogs without a fistula served as controls. The rate of gastric emptying of 100 ml 25% dextrose in the fistula dogs with the fistula open (95 +/- 3 ml/20 min) was faster than in the same dogs with the fistula closed (62 +/- 10 ml/20 min; p less than 0.05) and faster than in dogs without a fistula (77 +/- 5 ml/20 min; p less than 0.05). The rate of emptying in dogs with the fistula closed, however, was similar to the rate in dogs without a fistula (p greater than 0.05). We concluded that diversion of the enteric content to the exterior through a proximal jejunal fistula increases the rate of gastric emptying of 25% dextrose solutions in dogs with truncal vagotomy and Roux gastrectomy.