Background: Postoperative feeding is administered relatively early in gastric surgery, especially distal gastrectomy, but its feasibility and safety for proximal gastric surgery remains unclear.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 91 consecutive patients who underwent total or proximal gastrectomy between 2014 and 2019. Baseline and perioperative results were prospectively recorded in our dataset. In our clinical pathway, sips of water and a soft diet were allowed on postoperative days 1 and 3. Discharge was set at days 6-8, and clinical pathway completion was defined as discharge by postoperative day 8.
Results: Median patient age was 69 years, and 25 patients (27%) were aged ≥ 75 years. Fifty-nine patients (65%) had comorbidities. Esophageal involvement occurred in 12 patients (13%), and there were 28 cases (31%) of pathological stage IA. The open approach was applied in 22 patients (24%), laparoscopy was applied in 53 patients (58%), and the robotic approach was applied in 16 patients (18%). Total gastrectomy was performed in 56 patients (62%) and proximal gastrectomy was performed in 35 patients (38%). Overall and severe (Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher) complications occurred in 24 (26%) and 9 (10%) patients, respectively. There were four cases (4%) of esophagojejunal leakage (three with esophagogastric junction cancer, one with long-term corticosteroid use). Clinical pathway completion was achieved in 66 patients (73%), with readmission of five cases (5%).
Conclusions: Early feeding and discharge for total or proximal gastrectomy is feasible and safe as long as it is carefully applied to high-risk patients, but we must be aware of the relatively higher readmission rate of this patient group.