Duodenogastric Reflux in Health and Disease: Insights from a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model of the Stomach

The stomach is responsible for physically and chemically processing the ingested meal before controlled emptying into the duodenum through the pyloric sphincter. An incompetent pylorus allows reflux from the duodenum back into the stomach, and if the amount of reflux is large enough, it could alter the low pH environment of the stomach and erode the mucosal lining of the lumen. In some cases, the regurgitated contents can also reach the esophagus leading to additional complications. In this work, “StomachSim”, an in-silico model of the fluid dynamics of the stomach, is used to study the mechanism of duodenogastric reflux. The effects of variations in food properties and motility disorders on reflux are investigated. The simulations show that the primary driver of reflux is the relaxation of the antrum after a stomach contraction terminates near the pylorus. The region of the stomach walls exposed to the regurgitated contents depends significantly on the density of the stomach contents. For stomach contents of higher viscosity, the increased pressure required to maintain gastric emptying reduces the amount of duodenogastric reflux. Concomitant stomach motility disorders that weaken the relaxation of the walls also affect the amount of reflux. The study illustrates the utility of in-silico models in analyzing the factors at play in gastrointestinal diseases.