Bile salt reflux after cholecystectomy.

Gastric bile salt concentrations, the rates of bile salt reflux, gastric emptying, and gastric volume secretion were measured in 9 women with previous cholecystectomy and 13 unoperated female controls. The subjects were studied using a marker technique with gastric intubation both fasting and after gastric instillation of a mixed liquid meal. Cholecystectomy was without effect on gastric emptying and gastric volume secretion. Cholecystectomized patients had increased bile salt reflux rates (1.4 +/- 0.4 versus 0.6 +/- 0.2 mumol/min) and gastric bile concentrations (1753 +/- 266) versus 441 +/- 114 mumol/l) in the fasting state, but lower rates (0.3 +/- 0.3 versus 3.4 +/- 0.9 mumol/min) and concentrations (131 +/- 46 versus 496 +/- 123 mumol/l) after feeding. These findings can be explained by the changes of bile flow into the duodenum induced by cholecystectomy.