EFFECTS OF DISTAL GASTRECTOMY ON GASTROESOPHAGEAL MOTILITY IN CANCER-PATIENTS

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine whether a dista l gastrectomy in cancer patients with no endoscopic evidence of hiatal hernia could affect motor functions of the gastroesophageal junction. Preoperative measurements mere completed in 45 patients with tumor co nfined to the antrum and about to undergo a planned radical subtotal g astrectomy; however, a total of 36 patients (30 men and 6 women; age r ange, 34 to 76 years) completed the study according to the protocol. T hese 36 patients underwent a preoperative esophageal manometry to meas ure motor functions, including lower esophageal sphincter pressure and length and swallow-induced relaxation response. This measurement proc edure was repeated at least 6 months after a successful tumor resectio n. me used a nonparametric analysis to compare the preoperative and po stoperative motor functions. Our results indicated that neither the re sting lower esophageal sphincter pressure, the length of this sphincte r, nor the dry or wet swallow-induced relaxation ability was changed s tatistically significantly after the tumor resection. Based on the res ults of this small study, me suggest that radical subtotal gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients with no preoperative diagnosis of hiatal h ernia does not alter their gastroesophageal motor functions.