Total gastrectomy with or without abdominal drains. A prospective randomized trial

The most common postoperative complications of total gastrectomy are esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage and subphrenic abscess. These complications are a cause of morbidity and mortality, relaparotomy, and longer postoperative stay. The use of abdominal drains is useful for the early diagnosis and management of anastomotic leaks. The aim of this study was to analyze our experience with total gastrectomy for gastric cancer in patients with and without abdominal drains, and to evaluate the results regarding postoperative morbidity, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative days for oral intake, relaparotomy and mortality. This prospective and randomized study examines the results in 60 consecutive patients (43 males and 17 females) with gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy in the Regional Clinical Hospital of Concepción, Chile, between 2000 and 2003. Patients were divided into two groups: group I (without drains) and group II (two drains). We found 31 patients in group I and 29 patients in group II. The mean length of postoperative stay was 12.9 days in group I and 18.8 days in group II (p = 0.0242, s.). Morbidity was 9.7% in group I and 37.9% in group II (p = 0.0242, s.). Re-explorations were more frequent in group II (24.1%) versus group I (9.7%) (p = 0.1239, n.s.). Postoperative days for oral intake were 9.4 in group I and 12.8 in group II (p = 0.0514, n.s.) Mortality was 0% in group I and 3.4% in group II (p = 0.4833, n.s.). In our experience, morbidity and postoperative hospital stay were statistically higher in the group of patients with abdominal drains.