title: Association between postprandial symptoms and gastric emptying after sleeve gastrectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective bariatric procedure. However, postprandial symptoms can compromise its beneficial effect. It is not known if a changed gastric emptying and these symptoms are related. This study aimed to assess the association between postprandial symptoms and the gastric emptying pattern after LSG.
  
  
  METHODS
  A gastric emptying study with a solid and liquid meal component was performed in the second year after LSG. Before the test, symptoms were assessed using a standardized questionnaire, and during the test, symptoms were scored on a visual analog scale (VAS). Gastric emptying results were expressed as lag phase, half time of gastric emptying (T½), and caloric emptying rate/minute.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients (14 F/6 M; age 45.6 ± 7.7 years, weight 93.4 ± 28.2 kg, BMI 31.6 ± 8.1 kg/m(2)) participated in this study; 13 had a low symptom score (≤9, group I), 7 a high symptom score (≥18, group II). VAS scores for epigastric pain, nausea, and belching were significantly higher in group II. Lag phase (solid) was 6.4 ± 4.5 min in group I, 7.3 ± 6.3 in group II (p = 0.94); T½ (solid) was 40.6 ± 10.0 min in group I, 34.4 ± 9.3 in group II (p = 0.27); caloric emptying rate was 3.9 ± 0.6 kcal/min in group I, 3.9 ± 1.0 kcal/min in group II (p = 0.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with postprandial symptoms after LSG reported more symptoms during the gastric emptying study than patients without symptoms. However, there was no difference between gastric emptying characteristics between both groups, suggesting that abnormal gastric emptying is not a major determinant of postprandial symptoms after LSG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands, J.S.Burgerhart@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Burgerhart
authors.forename: Pim W J
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: van Rutte
authors.forename: Michela A L
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Edelbroek
authors.forename: Dirk N J
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Wyndaele
authors.forename: Johannes F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Smulders
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van de Meeberg
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Siersema
authors.forename: André J P M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smout
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004884:Eructation / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019518:Postprandial Period