Relationship between gastroduodenal interdigestive migrating motor complexand quality of life in patients with distal subtotal gastrectomy for earlygastric cancer

A total of 40 patients (28 males, 12 females; mean age, 56.6 years; range, 41-72 years), 1-1.5 years (mean, 1.4 years) after subtotal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer (Billroth I, D-2 lymph node dissection, curability A) were divided into 2 groups according to the occurrence of interdigestive mi grating motor complex (IMMC), phase III from the duodenum, and their postop erative quality of life was compared. Results were as follows: (i) patients in the IMMC, phase III positive group (28 patients) had evidently more app etite and ate more food, with less decrease in body weight compared with th e IMMC, phase III negative group (12 patients); and (ii) patients in the IM MC, phase III positive group had clearly less symptoms, such as early dumpi ng symptoms (systemic symptoms), symptoms of reflux esophagitis (e.g. heart burn, feeling of regurgitation, difficult swallowing), nausea, abdominal pa in, diarrhea, abdominal distention, and borborygmus, compared with the nega tive group. These results showed more satisfactory quality of life in the I MMC, phase III positive group compared with the negative group.