[Mechanism of bile outflow in cholecystectomized patients]

Intraluminal manometric and cine-cholangiomanometric studies were carried out on the movement of the sphincter of Oddi at the time of excretion of bile into the duodenum in 12 patients after cholecystectomy for gallstone. Two phases were observed in the sphincteric movement; the resting phase without any contraction and active phase with vigorous contraction. On stimulation with CCK-PZ 0.5 u/kg (bolus injection) in a active phase, a prompt transition from the active phase to the resting phase was observed in 4 to 8 minutes. On cine-cholangiomanometric study, the contrast medium injected into the common bile duct did not flow into the duodenum at the resting phase, but in the active phase. In the active phase, the excretion of the contrast medium was observed at the end of each contraction of the sphincter of Oddi. These observations have led a conclusion that bile excretion occurs in the active phase of the sphincter of Oddi in the cholecystectomized patients.