Ideal Reconstruction after Total Gastrectomy by the Interposition of a Jejunal Pouch Considered by Emptying Time

To establish the ideal form of the pouch for jejunal pouch interposition reconstruction (JPI) after total gastrectomy, the postoperative gastrointestinal function and symptoms were investigated in comparison with jejunal interposition reconstruction (JI). A total of 20 patients who underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. In the JI group (n = 9), an isoperistaltic jejunum about 40 cm in length was interposed between the esophagus and the duodenum. In the JPI group (n = 11), a proximal pouch about 15 cm in length with a 10-cm conduit was also interposed between the esophagus and the duodenum. At follow-up 6 months postoperatively, food transit was evaluated using a radiolabeled semisolid test meal. The half-emptying time was 6.9 minutes in the JI group and 46 minutes in the JPI group. The reservoir function influenced the recovery of the patients’ body weight and development of the serum total protein in the early postoperative period. An early half-emptying time caused dumping symptoms in JI group. In the JPI group, there were no dumping symptoms; however, extended food clearance of pouch causes postprandial symptoms such as reflux (1 patient), vomiting (2 patients), and discomfort (2 patients). In those patients with symptoms, half-emptying times were longer than 60 minutes. There was a statistically significant correlation between the pouch length and the half-emptying time of the gastric substitute in JPI group (p = 0.0039, r = 0.789). If we estimate that the appropriate half-emptying time is 20 to 60 minutes, correlation of the pouch length and the half-emptying time shows that the ideal pouch length is about 12–15 cm in JPI. In jejunal pouch interposition reconstruction after total gastrectomy, an adequate procedure leads to nutritional advantage and prevents postoperative symptoms.