Effects of gastrojejunostomy on pancreatic and gastric carcinoma, pancreatitis, gastric ulcer and other disease states of the gastro-intestinal tract

Background. To evaluate the palliative effects of gastrojejunostomy in pati ents who have been diagnosed with pancreatic and gastric carcinoma, and oth er disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Methods. Experimental design: retrospective medical records review, Setting : Honolulu area teaching hospital. Patients/participants: one hundred and t hirty-nine patients, 27 of whom had diagnosed pancreatic carcinoma while th e remainder had other diagnoses ranging from gastric carcinoma, gastric ulc er, and cancers of nearby anatomical structures such as the ampulla of Vate r, between 1985 and 1990, Results. Forty-eight percent (48%) of pancreatic cancer patients were femal e, The group consisted of 30% Japanese, 30% Caucasian, and 15% Hawaiians/pa rt Hawaiians, Six (22%) underwent a Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy (GJ), thirt een (48%) obtained a loop GJ, while the remainder (30%) had a Whipple, Seve n (26%) had a biliary bypass besides their GJ, No significant difference ex isted with regard to the failure of GJ, whether ii was performed on a patie nt with pancreatic cancer or for any other diagnosis. Incidence of delayed gastric emptying was similar between the two groups, Conclusions. Gastrojejunostomy is effective in patients with pancreatic can cer, and meets the goal of effective gastro-intestinal function regardless of the initial diagnosis.