Gastric Emptying Improved Significantly After PRG Compared to Billroth-I Reconstruction: Assessment of Gastric Emptying With a 13 C-Breath Test.

BACKGROUND: We advocated the usefulness of pylorus-reconstruction gastrectomy (PRG) to improve quality of life following surgery for gastric cancer. The current study assessed gastric emptying following PRG in comparison with those who underwent conventional Billroth-I (B-I) reconstruction and in healthy controls using a 13 C breath test.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 24 patients who underwent PRG from September 20, 2007 to July 26, 2012 at the Department of Surgery at Daisan Hospital (affiliated with The Jikei University School of Medicine). These patients underwent the 'standard' version of a gastric-emptying study using a 13 C breath test at 20.5±11.8 months after surgery. During the study, the half gastric-emptying time (T1/2) and gastric retention at 5 min after ingestion (RR5) were measured. The data of the PRG group were compared to those for 26 patients who underwent conventional B-I reconstruction and with a group consisting of 20 healthy controls.

RESULTS: RR5 was 69.6±21.8% in the patients who underwent PRG, 45.3±28.6% in those who underwent B-I reconstruction, and 93.7±5.7% in healthy controls. T1/2 was 17.0±13.0 min in patients who underwent PRG, 5.9±4.0 min in those who underwent B-I reconstruction, and 23.3±4.9 min in healthy controls. Gastric emptying was delayed in patients who underwent PRG compared to those who underwent B-I reconstruction (RR5: p<0.0014, T1/2: p<0.0002), and was comparable to that of healthy controls.

CONCLUSION: Gastric emptying improved significantly after PRG compared to B-I reconstruction, and approached that of healthy controls.