How is dumping syndrome diagnosed post-gastrectomy?

Dumping syndrome is commonly diagnosed based on the patient’s clinical symptoms and specific testing that evaluates how the body handles glucose following a meal, particularly after gastric surgery such as gastrectomy. A prolonged glucose tolerance test is particularly effective in this context because it assesses how quickly glucose is absorbed and indicates whether the symptoms are related to rapid gastric emptying.

In patients with dumping syndrome, ingestion of food leads to high blood sugar levels shortly after eating due to rapid entry of food into the small intestine. The prolonged glucose tolerance test can help simulate a meal's effects and identify abnormal patterns of glucose handling that may suggest dumping syndrome.

This approach aligns with the nature of the syndrome, which typically presents symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea shortly after eating. By evaluating how the body processes glucose in a controlled setting, healthcare providers gain insights into whether the symptoms align with the physiological changes associated with dumping syndrome following gastrectomy.