title: [Study on safety and feasibility of minimally invasive esophagectomy without the use of postoperative nasogastric tube decompression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and feasibility of forgoing postoperative nasogastric tube decompression in minimally invasive esophagectomy for patients with esophagus carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 90 eligible patients who underwent elective minimally invasive esophagectomy in our department from January 2012 to May 2013 by the same surgical team were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 45 patients did not receive the use of postoperative nasogastric tube decompression and 45 patients received nasogastric tube decompression after operation. The observation parameters included the time to first flatus, the time to intake of fluid diet, the duration of postoperative hospitalization, pharyngalgia, vomiting, and postoperative complications, as well as the need for placing or replacing the nasogastric tube.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of pharyngalgia was significantly higher in nasogastric tube group (100% vs 44.4%, P<0.001). The time to intake of fluid diet [median 2 d(2-4 d) vs. median 9 d(7-20 d), P<0.001] and the time to first flatus [median 3 d(3-8 d) vs. median 6 d(3-9 d), P<0.001] were all significantly shorter in non-nasogastric tube group as compared to nasogastric tube group. Compared with the nasogastric tube group, the non-nasogastric tube group had shorter postoperative hospital stay (P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications and vomiting between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Minimally invasive esophagectomy without the use of postoperative nasogastric tube decompression is safe and feasible, which can improve recovery and shorten postoperative hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China. 68618385@qq.com.
authors.forename: Huaguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Zaicheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Renquan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ningning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D003664:Decompression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies