Efficacy of preserving the residual stomach in esophageal cancer patients with previous gastrectomy

Objective There is no consensus concerning whether the residual stomach should be preserved after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer patients with previous distal or segmental gastrectomy. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of preserving the residual stomach after esophagectomy in patients with previous gastrectomy. Methods Between 2000 and 2015, 45 consecutive thoracic esophageal cancer patients with previous distal or segmental gastrectomy underwent esophagectomy followed by colon reconstruction. Patients were assigned to two groups according to how the residual stomach was treated (preservation group, n = 11; resection group, n = 34). We compared surgical outcomes and alterations of nutrition status, including the skeletal muscle area, between the two groups. In addition, we investigated the distribution of abdominal lymph node metastases in the resection group. Results Operative time and blood loss tended to be lower in the preservation group compared to the resection group. However, the difference did not reach statistical significance. The rate of patients decreasing skeletal muscle area after surgery was significantly higher in the resection group (88% vs 50%, P = 0.03). There were no patients with metastatic abdominal lymph nodes when the previous gastrectomy had been performed for gastric cancer and the esophageal cancer was located at the upper or middle esophagus in the resection group. Conclusions Preservation of the residual stomach after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients with previous gastrectomy may influence the postoperative nutrition status and can be selectively approved.