MALABSORPTION IN TOTAL GASTRECTOMY - STUD Y OF 26 PATIENTS

Weight loss, chronic diarrhea and fat malabsorption are frequent after total gastrectomy. The aim of this work was to stuyd parameter's of i ntestinal absorption and the histology of jejunal mucosa in 26 patient s subjected, at least one year ago, to total gastrectomy and without e vidences of tumoral relapse. There was a mean weight loss of 9 kg (ran ge 4 to 20) and 46% of patients had intermittent or episodical diarrhe a. Hemoglobin was below 12 g/dl in 4 patients, serum albumin was below 3.5 g/dl in 3, serum carotene was below 40 ug/dl in 5 and serum iron was below 80 ug/dl in 5. Jejunal biopsies were normal and steatocrit w as abnormal in all patients. Present findings suggest that fat malabso rption in these patients is intraluminal and due to an unequal mix of pancreatic and biliary secretions, as a consequence of Y en Roux trans it reconstruction.