title: Postoperative functional evaluation of gastric tube after laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary aim of this study was to examine the motor activity (motility) of a gastric tube after laparoscopic-assisted proximal gastrectomy (LPG). A secondary objective was to ascertain whether a correlation exists between gastric tube motor activity and reflux esophagitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 41 patients who underwent LPG for early gastric cancer were studied. The motility of the gastric tube and the status of reflux esophagitis were evaluated. Manometric recording was performed 2 weeks and 1 year after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a fasting state, the motilities of the distal gastric tube and duodenum recovered within 1 year after surgery but that of the proximal gastric tube did not recover. Improvement of the motility of the gastric tube was associated with a decreased number of patients with reflux esophagitis 1 year after surgery. In patients with reflux esophagitis, the motility of the distal gastric tube was significantly lower than that in patients without reflux esophagitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After LPG, the motility of the gastric tube recovered, and the incidence of reflux esophagitis decreased with time, in parallel to recovery of gastrointestinal motility.
authors: Department of Digestive Tract and General Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan emochiki@saitama-med.ac.jp.
authors: Erito
authors: E
authors: Mochiki
authors: Department of Digestive Tract and General Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Fukuchi
authors: Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors: Kyouichi
authors: K
authors: Ogata
authors: Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Ohno
authors: Department of Digestive Tract and General Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Hideyuki
authors: H
authors: Ishida
authors: Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D013270:Stomach / Q000503:physiopathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy; gastric cancer; gastric tube; motility