THE EFFICIENCY OF EARLY ORAL FEEDING IN GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC TOTAL GASTRECTOMY

Earling oral feeding in gastric cancer patients after the surgery

Abstract

Background: The early oral feeding after the laparoscopic total gastrectomy contributes to the enhanced treatment efficiency and improved quality of life of gastric cancer patients. To evaluate the efficiency of early oral feeding after laparoscopic total gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients at the Nghe An General Friendship Hospital.

Methods: A retrospective observational study, performed in patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy from 2014 to 2020.

Results: 126 patients were recruited. The mean age was 60.6 ± 11.1 years. The male/female ratio was 2.8/1. 15.9% of patients had the tumor at the one-third upper stomach, 81.7% at the middle of the stomach. 70.6% of patients contracted adenocarcinoma and ductal carcinoma, 24.6% of patients had ring cell carcinoma. The percent of tumor at stages I, II, III were respectively 19.0%, 49.2%, 31.7%. There were 71.4% of cases underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy and were made the anastomosis by linear staplers. No case presented complications relating to the anastomosis after the surgery. The mean oral feeding time was 4.4 ± 1.9 (2 – 8 days), 27.8% of cases started at the second postoperative date, 8.7% of cases at the third postoperative date, 29.4% of cases from the fourth and fifth date, and 34.1% of cases started from the sixth date and further. The later the oral feeding time was, the slower recovery of the peristalsis was and vice versa (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the feeding time and the complications (p > 0.05). The more early the feeding time was, the shorter duration of antibiotic therapy observed and vice versa (p < 0.05). The more early the feeding time was, the short duration of hospital stay was and vice versa (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The early oral feeding after laparoscopic total gastrectomy was safe and contributed to improving the efficiency of the treatment, the quality of life in gastric cancer patients.

Keywords: Early oral feeding, gastric cancer.