EFFECT OF POSITION AND WIDTH OF THE INTRA THORACIC STOMACH ON GASTRIC-EMPTYING AFTER ESOPHAGECTOMY

The gastric emptying of a mixed solid-liquid meal labeled with 99 mTc was evaluated in 14 healthy volunteers and in 14 subjects after esopha geal replacement. The stomach had been placed seven times in the poste rior mediastinum and seven times behind the sternum. The rate of empty ing was measured by an anterior gamma-camera technique. Furthermore, t he width of the esophageal substitutes was determined by CT-scans. The intrathoracic stomach displayed a prolonged emptying rate, independen t of its location in the anterior or posterior mediastinum. Interestin gly the width of the stomach influenced the discharge of the test-meal , whereby the more narrow the substitute the faster the emptying rate.