To obtain information on possible determinants of weight loss after horizontal gastroplasty, pouch emptying was prospectively investigated in 27 morbidly obese patients. A scintigraphic method was used. Examinations were carried out every 6 months until 2 years after surgery. Pouch emptying was described by means of delay, time until half emptying, mean transit time, and emptying rate. The measures all showed a significant (p less than 0.05) acceleration of pouch emptying during the first 6 months after gastroplasty. Thereafter pouch emptying was unaltered. No significant association could be detected between measures of pouch emptying and weight loss. From calculation of 95% confidence intervals for coefficients of correlation it proved very unlikely that pouch emptying is an important determinant of weight loss.
This study investigated possible determinants of food intake change after gastroplastry. Preoperatively and 6 and 12 months postoperatively, 27 morbidly obese patients were prospectively examined with 7-day food registration and radiologic measurement of pouch volume and stoma diameter. Pouch emptying was determined as the mean transit time by a scintigraphic method. None of the measured variables was found to influence the change in food intake taking place during the first 6 months, when most of the weight loss was observed. Between 6 and 12 months, the change of stoma diameter was positively associated with the change of solid foods consumed (by weight, p = 0.01; by energy content, p = 0.02). The change of pouch volume was negatively associated with the change of energy from beverages (p = 0.005). In conclusion, it seems impossible to tailor the reduction of food intake through adjustments of the surgical dimensions, at least within the ranges of our observations. Increased food consumption and decreased energy intake with beverages may be caused by late dilations, or vice versa.
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