The influence of reconstruction methods on food retention phenomenon in the remnant stomach after a subtotal gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Food retention and bile reflux has been frequently observed in gastric cancer patients following a subtotal gastrectomy. The aim of this study was to determine whether reconstruction methods after the distal subtotal gastrectomy influenced the degree of food residue and bile reflux.
METHODS: The prospectively collected data was reviewed retrospectively for 522 patients with early gastric cancer who had undertaken a follow-up endoscopic examination after a distal subtotal gastrectomy between 2003 and 2006.
RESULTS: The incidence of food retention was 55.5%, 31.9%, and 20.9% at 3, 12, and 24 months after distal subtotal gastrectomy, respectively. The food residue score was higher in the Billroth I (stapling) group than the Billroth II (hand sewing) group at 3 months after surgery (P = 0.006). The incidence of bile reflux was higher in the Billroth II group than in the Billroth I group at 12 and 24 months after surgery (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). No significant association was found between the food retention and body weight changes.
CONCLUSIONS: Food retention was detected in lots of patients after subtotal gastrectomy and the reconstructive methods after subtotal gastrectomy was not relevant to food retention.