Postoperative Motility of the Small Intestine: A Study with Endoradiosondes

Abstract

The postoperative motility of the small intestine was studied by means of pressure-sensitive endoradiosondes in patients who had undergone abdominal operations with and without enterotomy. The curves recorded were analysed qualitatively and compared with curves from healthy intact control persons. In 9 patients distinct activity was recorded between 20 min and 3 1/2 hours after the operation and in 3 patients between 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 hours postoperatively. No difference was found between cholecystectomized and gastrectomized patients. In a patient who had undergone duodenopancreatectomy, on the other hand, activity was delayed until 16 1/2 hours postoperatively. The initial contraction waves were predominantly of type I, and only in a few cases were type III waves seen. The propulsive motility was studied by following the point of maximal signal strength. After only 1–4 1/2 hours after cholecystectomies and gastric resections this point lay above the symphysis pubis or at the right or left iliac fossa, indicating that the propulsive intestinal motility of the small intestine was not notably delayed postoperatively. Only after extensive operations was considerable delay in this motility observed.