MYOELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THE BILLROTH-II GASTRIC REMNANT

This study was undertaken to investigate the extent to which gastric electrical control activity and phasic contractile activity are preserved after Billroth II resection and to assess the relation between these activities and postprandial symptoms in patients who have undergone Billroth II resection. Thirty three patients were studied after Billroth II resection without vagotomy. Gastric electrical activity was recorded from surface electrodes and intraluminal pressure was recorded simultaneously. The electrogastrographic signals were analysed by Running Spectrum Analysis. In addition, three dogs with a Billroth II stomach and implanted serosal electrodes were studied. Phasic gastric pressure waves were observed in most patients. Electrogastrograpgic signals recorded from 82% of the Billroth II patients contained a mean (SD) peak at 3.1 (0.2) cycles per minute (cpm). Fasting and postprandial frequencies correlated significantly (p < 0.02) with the score for nausea and vomiting. In 61% of the patients, the electrogastrographic signal contained a stable component with a frequency of 10.5 (0.6) cpm that was not caused by respiration. We suggest that this activity is of intestinal origin. In all three dogs studied, retrograde conduction of jejunal electrical control activity (16 cpm) into the distal part of the gastric remnant was observed. In the Billroth II patients, the presence of a 10 cpm component correlated negatively with symptoms.