Gastric emptying rate of solids is reduced in a group of ileostomy patients.

Feedback inhibition from the colon acts as a potent inhibitor of gastrointestinal motility via an array of gut peptides and neural pathways. The effect of total colonectomy on gastric emptying was assessed in five healthy ileostomy patients (<5 cm ileal resection) and five matched controls. Each subject consumed two isoenergetic test meals of contrasting fat-carbohydrate ratio in random order. Emptying of solids was measured using the [13C]octanoic acid breath test, and liquid emptying was assessed after oral dosing with paracetamol. Ileostomist subjects exhibited an increased half-emptying time for solids (P = 0.047), which included components of an increased gastric lag time (P = 0.004) and a reduction in the linear emptying rate (P = 0.003). There was no difference in the pattern of liquid emptying between subject groups. In conclusion, the gastric emptying rate of solids was reduced in ileostomy patients compared with controls.