Patterns of intestinal motility recovery during the early stage following abdominal surgery: clinical and manometric study.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pattern of recovery of intestinal motility using manometric and clinical assessment in the postoperative ileus following abdominal surgery. We reviewed the charts of 18 patients who underwent partial colectomy for colon cancer (group A, without vagotomy) and compared them to those of 15 patients who underwent gastrectomy with truncal vagotomy and reconstruction by the Billroth I technique (group B, with vagotomy). A three-lumen catheter was inserted via the nose into the proximal jejunum for drainage of intestinal fluids and to record intestinal motility at laparotomy.