title: Effects of emptying function of remaining stomach on QOL in postgastrectomy patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attention has recently focused on decreased quality of life (QOL) that occurs in postgastrectomy patients. We verified how gastric emptying function affected QOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 72 consecutive patients after gastrectomy for cancer, including 25 after distal gastrectomy (DG), 18 after proximal gastrectomy (PG), 16 after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PpG), and 13 after total gastrectomy (TG). Using the (13)C breath test method, (13)CO(2) levels in breath were measured over 2 h, and T (max) was determined. Questionnaires (Japanese versions of the Short-Form 36 [SF-36] and Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale [GSRS]) were used to analyze QOL and correlations between questionnaire results and T (max).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean T (max) (min) for each procedure was 15.4 for DG, 21.1 for PG, 41.3 for PpG, and 10.4 for TG. T (max) differed between procedures, but not between survey periods. SF-36 was not correlated with T (max), whereas GSRS showed a difference in diarrhea and total score between procedures, but not between survey periods. In addition, GSRS correlated with T (max) for abdominal pain, indigestion, and total score. The total scores showed a significant symptom aggregation in patients with T (max) less than 21 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastrointestinal symptoms in postgastrectomy patients were associated with the function of the remaining stomach. The (13)C breath test is useful for objectively assessing such symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayami
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seshimo
authors.forename: Kunitomo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kameoka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011178:Postgastrectomy Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires