Characteristics and clinical relevance of postgastrectomy syndrome assessment scale (PGSAS)-45: newly developed integrated questionnaires for assessment of living status and quality of life in postgastrectomy patients

Background Lack of a suitable instrument to comprehensively assess symptoms, living status, and quality of life in postgastrectomy patients prompted the authors to develop postgastrectomy syndrome assessment scale (PGSAS)-45. Methods PGSAS-45 consists of 45 items in total: 8 items from SF-8, 15 items from GSRS, and an additional 22 items selected by 47 gastric surgeons. Using the PGSAS-45, a multi-institutional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of postgastrectomy syndrome and its impact on everyday life among patients who underwent various types of gastrectomy. Eligible data were obtained from 2,368 patients operated and followed at 52 institutions in Japan. Of these, data from 1,777 patients were used in the current study in which symptom subscales of the PGSAS-45 were determined. We also considered the characteristics of the postgastrectomy syndrome and to what extent these symptoms influence patients’ living status and quality of life (QOL). Results By factor analysis, 23 symptom-related items of PGSAS-45 were successfully clustered into seven symptom subscales that represent esophageal reflux, abdominal pain, meal-related distress, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, and dumping. These seven symptom subscales and two other subscales measuring quality of ingestion and dissatisfaction for daily life, respectively, had good internal consistency in terms of Cronbach′s α (0.65–0.88). Conclusion PGSAS-45 provides a valid and reliable integrated index for evaluation of symptoms, living status, and QOL in gastrectomized patients.