Some patients complain of serious postoperative digestive symptoms after esophagectomy. However, it has not been clear what clinical factors are related to these symptoms. In this study, we investigate the relationships between postoperative digestive symptoms (body weight loss, subjective oral intake, and reflux) and clinical factors.
Of 155 patients who underwent esophagectomy at our department from April 2019 to July 2021, 75 patients were eligible because they could be followed up at our outpatient clinic without relapse. Postoperative symptoms including body weight loss, oral intake ≥70%, and reflux were asked. Regarding clinical factors, age, sex, route of reconstruction, the width and the location of the gastric tube in CT images, and the location of pylorus ring in CT images were investigated retrospectively.
The median body weight loss was 10.5%. Oral intake ≥70% was found in 37/61. 24/50 patients complained of reflux. The mean body weight loss was 6.2% in the intrathoracic anastomosis, 10.5% in the posterior mediastinal route, and 12.6% in the retrosternal route (p=0.04). Oral intake ≥70% was found in 20/29 of the wide gastric tube group and 16/31 of the narrow gastric tube group (p=0.197). The group with oral intake ≥70% was likely to be younger (p<0.01), and male is likely to have oral intake ≥70% (p=0.193). Regarding reflux, there were no difference in clinical factors.
Although this is a retrospective study and biases in each group are found, body weight loss is less found in the intrathorax anastomosis and in the duodenostomy group via a retrosternal route. Oral intake is likely to be more in younger patients, in male, and in patients with wider gastric tube. On the other hand, no clinical factors were found related to reflux.
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