Applications of electromyography in the study of changes in intestinal motility following surgery on the small intestine

: Changes in the intestinal motility were studied in dogs after different surgical operations performed on the small bowel. Electrodes were implanted on the intestine and the electrical activity of the bowel was recorded after transection of the bowel and after jejunoileal shunt. The results showed that the transection of the bowel provoked a slowing of the propagation of the intestinal contractions. This phenomenon was particularly important at the level of the ileum. The jejunoileal shunt was followed by a strong increase of the level of the motor activity, probably related with an increase of the intraluminal content at the level of the ileum. These results gave an explanation for the slowing of the intestinal transit which is observed after some operations which involve a transection of the small bowel.