Objective: We present a new method of assessment of gastric emptying in gastrectomized patients.
Patients and methods: The gastric emptying of non digestible solids were studied in two groups of gastrectomized patients, the Billroth II (n = 25) and the Roux-en-Y (n = 36) to relate the gastric emptying with the postgastrectomy symptoms.
Results: The food retained in the gastric stump is related with significance with the presence (p = 0.01) and the absence (p = 0.02) of markers. The patients operated on with the Billroth II technique present a higher frequency of markers in the gastric stump (40% over 19.4% with the Roux-en-Y). The markers in the gastric stump are more common with the symptoms of pyrosis, nausea, bilious vomit, diarrhea and the postoperative gastritis of alkaline reflux.
Conclusions: The method of gastric emptying of non digestible solids is a valid and reliable study of the gastric emptying and should be carried out in all candidates for endoscopy because it is harmless and easy to perform and evaluate.