Long-term postoperative analysis of nutritional status after limited gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An examination was made of the postoperative long-term effects of limited gastrectomy (LG) on nutritional status, as one of the factors that influence quality of life.

METHODOLOGY

Nutritional status in 33 patients who underwent LG for early gastric cancer, was compared with that of 36 patients who underwent standard gastrectomy (SG). Nutritional conditions were assessed preoperatively, and then 1 and 2 weeks, 1 and 6 months, and 1, 2 and 3 years after surgery.

RESULTS

Postoperative recovery of both body weight and body fat mass was greater in LG than SG, and there were significant differences between the two groups of patients from six months after surgery until three years had elapsed.

CONCLUSION

LG minimized the extent of nutritional impairment during long-term recovery from surgery, as compared with SG. LG would seem to be a suitable operative procedure for some patients with mucosal gastric cancer, without reducing radicality for cancer.