title: Outcome of segmental gastrectomy versus distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of the frequent occurrence of postgastrectomy disturbances after distal gastrectomy (DG), segmental gastrectomy (SG) has recently been applied to early gastric cancer (EGC). Outcomes of SG and DG in patients with EGC were compared to clarify the usefulness of SG as a treatment for EGC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study involved 61 patients with EGC: 28 patients who underwent DG before March 1996 and 33 patients who underwent SG after April 1996 during the period April 1991 through March 2002. Patient and tumor characteristics, operative results, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative/preoperative body weight ratio was higher in the SG group than in the DG group. Early dumping syndrome and reflux gastritis occurred less frequently after SG than after DG. The incidence of postoperative complications was similar in the two groups. All patients remained alive without recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 54.7 months in the SG group and 99.9 months in the DG group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison to DG, SG is associated with improved postoperative quality of life with no decrease in operative curability of EGC. Thus, SG is a feasible treatment for EGC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu, Oita 879-5593, Japan. ishikwa@med.oita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arita
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bandoh
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D004377:Dumping Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome