Fat-Assimilating Capacity of the Gastrointestinal Tract After Partial Gastrectomy With Gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I Anastomosis)

Summary In intake-excretion studies of fat carried out on 8 patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I anastomosis), a standard test diet containing a large amount of fat was used. Results were compared with those obtained from similar studies with the same high fat test diet on 13 control subjects and 10 patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy (Polya anastomosis). Patients with the Billroth I and those with the Polya anastomosis excreted excessive amounts of fat compared with the control subjects. The Polya group excreted the greatest average amount, the control group the least, and the Billroth I group an intermediate quantity. Each of the 3 groups showed significant differences in excretion of fecal fat from the other 2. Our findings indicate that partial gastrectomy with either type of anastomosis interferes to some degree with the normal fat-assimilating capacity of the gastrointestinal tract but that impairment is less after gastroduodenostomy than after gastrojejunostomy.