Comparison Of The Quality Of Life In Patients After Esophagectomy For Cancer Followed By Gastric Tube Of Whole Stomach Reconstruction

Objective To evaluate the quality of life(QOL) in patients with resectable esophageal cancer after esophagectomy followed by gastric tube or whole stomach reconstruction.Methods From November, 2007 to June, 2008, 112 patients undergoing esophageal resection were double-blindly randomly divided into experimental group(54 cases) that receive the esophageal reconstruction with the narrow gastric tube(NGT) and control group(58 cases) that receive the esophageal reconstruction with the whole stomach (WS). The clinical features before surgery, the incidence of complications, mortality, survival rate were compared respectively afterwards. Meanwhile the postoperative QOL of both group in 3weeks, 6 and 12 months were investigated also. By means of life questionnaire specifically for esophagectomy, the QOL of both group were studied.Results There were no significant difference in the incidence of complications, mortality and one year survival rate in both groups. The cases of reflux esophagitis and thoracic stomach syndrome were less in NGT group than WS group. The mean QOL score remained a low level in the early stage after the operation in both groups. In 3 weeks after operation were significant difference of QOL in both groups (P>0.05). In 6, 12 months after operation, the QOL scores and the satisfaction rate in NGT group were higher than WS group(P<0.05).Conclusions Patients underwent esophageal resection in both groups showed no significant difference in QOL in the early stage at postoperative period, but the QOL of patients in NGT group was improved faster than that in WS group. The gastric tube was in improving patients'QOL, Compared to whole stomach and was considered as a new better surgical process.