The Postoperative Quality of Life of Two Anastomosis Methods of Gastric Tube Reconstruction for Proximal Gastrectomy

Background/Aims: Compare the postoperative quality of life between the anastomosis of anterior gastric wall to the esophagus (AGE) and posterior gastric wall to the esophagus (PGE) for gastric tube reconstruction of proximal gastrectomy. Methodology: Retrospectively matched-pair study collected patients who underwent anterior and posterior gastric wall anastomosis to the esophagus after proximal gastrectomy. Surgical related parameters and postoperative 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, 12-month quality of life were according to EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-STO22 questionnaires during the out-patient visit. Results: Eleven pair cases included in the study and finished postoperative quality of life evaluation. General characteristics, such as age, surgical duration, blood loss, postoperative complications exited no significant difference between the two groups. The AEG reconstruction existed advantage in the pain scale (EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-STO22) and reflux symptom scale (EORTC QLQ-STO22) at the 3-month postoperative evaluation. However, there was no difference between the two groups in the assessment of quality of life in the postoperative 6-month, 9-month, 12-month. Conclusions: Although there were some subtle differences between the two reconstruction methods. Both of these two reconstruction methods can as a selection of gastric tube reconstruction. Further study and other reconstruction method are expected for the proximal gastrectomy.