Quality of Life of Patients with Gastric Tube Anastomosis after Proximal Gastrectomy in Adenocarcinoma of Esophagogastric Junction

Objective To compare postoperative quality of life (QOL) of patients receiving proximal gastrectomy (PG)for adenocarcinoma of gastroesophagealjunction (AEG) throughgastric tube anastomosis and traditional esophagogastrostomy. Methods Between January 2010 and February 2011, 112 patients were diagnosed as AEG in our hospital. All patients underwent curative operations. Two post-PG alimentary tract reconstruction methods were adopted: gastric tube anastomosis (n=60) and traditional direct anastomosis (n=52). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of life Questionnaire Core-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and QLQ-STO22 were used to assess QOL of those patients before and two years after operations.Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in clinical and pathologic characteristics, clinical pathological characteristics and preoperative QOL (P>0.05). Two years after operations, the patients receiving traditional direct anastomosis showed higher scores in reflux, body image, and nausea and vomiting compared with those receiving gastric tube anastomosis. No statistical differences were found between the two groups of patients in general health, physical function, role function, fatigue and pain (P>0.05).Conclusion Gastric tube reconstruction could improve the postoperative QOL of AEG patients.