Radionuclide techniques in the study of delayed gastric emptying in patients with gastroesophageal reflux

Gastric emptying was studied in 15 patients with hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux by a radionuclide technique with solid meal. Thirteen healthy subjects were used as control group. The obtained results have shown that, even in the time when the radionuclide activity decreases of 50% in the region of gastric activity (T1/2) in the 15 patients was not statistically different with respect to the control group, ten patients showed delayed emptying (116.4 +/- 16.88 min) with a mean delay of 30% in the time of half-emptying with respect to the control group (p less than 0.01). This finding is important for its surgical implications since this delayed emptying should be kept in mind when planning Nissen fundoplication or other antireflux procedures: in such case surgery can be complicated with a "gas bloat syndrome".