title: Quality of life after laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy: an evaluation using a questionnaire mailed to the patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the postoperative quality of life (QOL) after laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LAPPG) in comparison to laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with early-stage gastric cancer underwent minimally invasive LADG (n = 12) or LAPPG (n = 9). Demographic and cancer-related data were obtained retrospectively from medical records. QOL was assessed using a 13-item questionnaire and the Japanese edition of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, which were mailed to patients twice postoperatively. Body weight and hemoglobin levels were measured at the same time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early upper abdominal pain was rated as significantly worse with LAPPG than with LADG at the first checkup (1.4 vs. 1.0, P = 0.02) but not at the second checkup (1.3 vs. 1.0, P = 0.07). There was a trend toward less body weight loss in the LAPPG patients in comparison to the LADG patients. The serum hemoglobin levels of LAPPG patients at the second checkup showed significantly higher than LADG patients (13.3 vs. 11.6 g/dL, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAPPG and LADG produce similar QOL in patients. Trends toward less body weight loss and improved anemia in LAPPG patients may therefore become more pronounced in future studies that have adequate number of the patients and longer follow-up periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Medicine and Innovative Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. mtomikaw@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Morimasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomikawa
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Korenaga
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akahoshi
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohshi
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakeji
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashizume
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage; D011708:Pylorus / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins