Comparison between early enteral feeding with a transnasal tube and parenteral nutrition after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study evaluated 21 patients with early enteral feeding (EEF group) and 22 patients without early enteral feeding (non-EEF group) who underwent open total gastrectomy followed by Roux en Y reconstruction and were RO resectable cases. METHDOLOGY: Postoperative complications and course, postoperative/preoperative body weight, whole meal intake, and nutritional, inflammatory, and immunological parameters were recorded and evaluated in both groups.


RESULTS
Postoperative meal intake was significantly higher and the first day of defecation was significantly earlier in the EEF group than in the non-EEF group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the blood laboratory data and the rate of complications. In patients with complications, lymphocyte counts and postoperative body weights were compared as indicators of immunostimulation. The lymphocyte counts 7 days after operation and postoperative/preoperative body weight were significantly higher in the EEF group than in the non-EEF group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although immunostimulation-like findings were observed in the patients with complications after surgery in the present study, the significance of EEF was not clarified because of the lack of cases whose conditions were severe. EEF should be used especially for patients in whom severe disease is possible and avoidance of TPN is desirable.
Eiji
E
Nomura
Sang-Woong
SW
Lee
Masaru
M
Kawai
Hitoshi
H
Hara
Kazuhito
K
Nabeshima
Kenji
K
Nakamura
Kazuhisa
K
Uchiyama
D000368:Aged; D000713:Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y; D003672:Defecation; D004435:Eating; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome