title: Assessment of delayed gastric emptying after major hepatectomy using a 13C-acetic acid breath test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after hepatectomy affects the quality of life of patients, although the causes and related conditions have not been investigated. This study evaluated the relationship between hepatectomy and DGE by the objective assessment of gastric emptying (GE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen patients who underwent major hepatectomy were prospectively enrolled in the study. Their GE was studied using the (13)C-acetic acid breath test before and after hepatectomy. The results of the GE analysis were correlated with the postoperative course after hepatectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinically evident DGE, which was defined as the inability to take in an appropriate amount of solid food orally by postoperative day 14, was not found in these patients, but the gastric half-emptying times before and after hepatectomy were 20.2 ± 9.7 and 28.6 ± 12.2 min, respectively (P = 0.01). The GE time was significantly delayed in patients aged ≥ 41 years, or who underwent right hemihepatectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastric emptying was significantly inhibited in patients who underwent major hepatectomy, and aging and a right-sided hemihepatectomy may be related to the development of DGE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. ksugi@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirabe
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Hirotada
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akiho
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: Tomonobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gion
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004377:Dumping Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D019342:Acetic Acid