Denervated stomach as an esophageal substitute recovers intraluminal acidity with time

Objective To determine whether the denervated stomach as an esophageal subs titute recovers normal intraluminal acidity with time, Summary Background Data Bilateral truncal vagotomy to the stomach as an eso phageal substitute reduces both gastric acid production and antral motility , but a spontaneous motor recovery process takes place over years. Methods Intraluminal gastric pH and bile were monitored during a 24-hour pe riod 1 to 195 months after transthoracic elevation of the stomach as esopha geal replacement in 91 and 76 patients, respectively. Nine patients underwe nt a second gastric pH monitoring after a 3-year period. The percentages of time that the gastric pH was less than 2 and bile absorbance exceeded 0.25 were calculated in reference to values from 25 healthy volunteers. Eighty- nine upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed in 83 patients. Pati ents were divided into three groups depending on length of follow-up: group 1, less than 1 year; group 2, 1 to 3 years; group 3, more than 3 years. Results The prevalence of a normal gastric pH profile was 32.3% in group 1, 81.5% in group 2, and 97.6% in group 3. The percentage of time that the ga stric pH was less than 2 increased from group 1 (27.3%) to group 2 (56.1%) and group 3 (70.5%), parallel to an increase in the prevalence of cervical heartburn and esophagitis. The percentage of time that the gastric pH was l ess than 2 increased from 28.7% to 81.2% in the nine patients investigated twice. Exposure of the gastric mucosa to bile was 12.8% in patients with a high gastric pH profile versus 19.3% in those with normal acidity. In the e sophageal remnant in six patients, Barrett's metaplasia developed, intestin al (n = 2) or gastric (n = 4) in type. Conclusions Early after vagotomy, intraluminal gastric acidity is reduced i n two thirds of patients, but the stomach recovers a normal intraluminal pH profile with time, so that in more than one third of patients, disabling c ervical heartburn and esophagitis develop. The potential for the developmen t of Barrett's metaplasia in the esophageal remnant brings into question th e use of the stomach as an esophageal substitute in benign and early neopla stic disease.