Gallbladder contraction after esophagectomy

The influence of truncal vagotomy on gallbladder contraction remains to be clarified. Concerning operative procedures for the epper gastrointestinal lesions, gallbladder conrtacrion may affected by truncal vagotomy as well as lymphadenectomy on the hepatoduodenal ligamen, Usually in the operation for the esophageal carsinomaa, truncal cagotomy is performed without lymphadenectomy on the hepatofuofenal ligament. Therefore esophagectomy is a relevant model for the observation of the relationshdp between truncal vegotomy and gallbladder contraction. Dual scintigraphy using a semislid meal with^<111> In-DTPA and boults injection ^<99m>Tc-PMT(double isotope method) was perfourmed 2-8 months after surgery in 12 patients who had undergone esophagectomy for esophageal carcinma. Ten of 12 patients could be evaluated because outflow of gastric contents to the duodenum was recoginized pre- and postoperatively. In 8 of 10 patients, gastric emptying patteins after truncal vagptpmy were almost identical to those bedore operation. As the result, change of gastric emptying patterns may be ignored in this study. In the observation of gallbladder contraction, the postoperative ejection fraction rate in 10 of 12 patients significantly increased compared to the preoperative rate, and no patients developed gallstione formations. These results suggest that truncal vagotomy per se does not impair gallbladder contraction agter meal