In this study, the effect of total vagotomy which is performed in association with transhiatal esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy for esophagial cancers on gastric emptying time and the relationship between pyloromyotomy and gastric emptying time were investigated with nucleear scintigraphy. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: Group A (control grup): This group included 10 healthy subjects Group B: This group included 10 patients who did not undergo pyloromyotomy in association with transhiatal esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy. Group C: This group included 10 patients who underwent pyloromyotomy in association with transhiatal esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy. In all subjects, nuclear sintigraphic investigation was performed to determine the gastric empytying time. In nuclear scintigraphic investigation, residuel gastric activity was calculated at the 60th and 90th minutes following labeled test meal. In Grup A, 23.09% and 9.8% of the meal remained in the stomach at the 60th and 90h minutes, respectively. In Group B, 73.9% and 57.66% of the meal remained in the stomach at the 60th and 90th minutes, respectiveely.

Gatric emptying time determined in Group B and C was statistically significantly longer than that determined in Group A (p<0.0001). There was not a significant difference between gastric emptying times determined in grup B and C (p>0.05).