Purpose: Many surgeons in Japan use 1-day nasogastric tube (NGT) decompression after gastrectomy as a standard procedure. This prospective randomized study aimed to define whether 1-day NGT decompression is necessary after distal gastrectomy. Methods: The subjects were 233 patients with gastric cancer, randomized into two groups immediately after distal gastrectomy: one group received 1-day NGT decompression (NGT group, n = 119) and the other did not (no-NGT group, n = 114). The primary outcome measure was postoperative surgery-related and respiratory complications, whereas secondary measures were the postoperative course to recovery and patient complaints. Results: The incidence of surgery-related complications did not differ significantly between the NGT and no-NGT groups (21.0 and 19.2%, respectively; p = 0.87). The rate of respiratory complications was 6.7% in the NGT group and 7.0% in the no-NGT group (p > 0.99). The time to passage of first flatus and the postoperative hospital stay did not differ between the groups. Twenty-five patients in the NGT group and none in the no-NGT group complained of nasopharyngeal discomfort (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Considering the physical discomfort caused by the NGT, we believe that routine 1-day NGT decompression is unnecessary after distal gastrectomy.
CITATION STYLE
Kimura, Y., Yano, H., Iwazawa, T., Fujita, J., Fujita, S., Yamamoto, K., & Yasuda, T. (2017). One-day nasogastric tube decompression after distal gastrectomy: a prospective randomized study. Surgery Today, 47(9), 1080–1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-017-1475-0
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