Postoperative Changes in Body Composition After Pancreaticoduodenectomy Using Multifrequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

Background Nutritional status is one of the most important clinical determinants of outcome after surgery. The aim of this study was to compare changes in the body composition of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), distal gastrectomy (DG), or total gastrectomy (TG). Methods The parameters of body composition were measured using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis with an inBody 720 (Biospace Inc. Tokyo. Japan) in 60 patients who had undergone PD (n=18), DG(n=30), or TG(n=12). None of the patients had recurrence or were treated with chemotherapy. Changes between the preoperative data and results and those obtained 12 months after surgery were evaluated. Results Twelve months after surgery, the body weight change in the PD group was significantly lower than in the TG and DG groups (-1.2 +/- 3.8 vs -7.4 +/- 4.4 and -4.0 +/- 3.2 kg, respectively; p<0.01 vs TG, p<0.05 vs DG). The body weight change correlated with the fat mass change in all groups. Conclusions The type and extent of surgery has a different effect on long-term body weight and body composition. Bioelectric impedance analysis can be used to assess body composition and may be useful for nutritional assessment in patients who have undergone these surgeries.