Jejunostomy after oesophagectomy: a review of evidence and current practice

Patients undergoing oesophagectomy often have nutritional needs at the time of diagnosis and in the post-operative period. The aim of this article is to review the current literature and report on the author's experience of routine feeding jejunostomy insertion following oesophagectomy. The records of forty-eight consecutive patients undergoing oesphagectomy under the author's care were reviewed. Although the evidence of benefit of peri-operative feeding in patients undergoing oesophagectomy is limited, there is a clear need to establish a feeding route at the time of surgery. Oesophagectomy is associated with a mortality rate of 5-10% and a morbidity rate of 30-40% even in high-volume specialist centres. Over 50% of patients developing complications will require an alternative to oral feeding beyond 30 d. The enteral route is preferred in terms of safety and cost. A surgical feeding jejunostomy is associated with a low complication rate and a mortality rate of less than 1%. In forty-eight patients undergoing oesophagectomy the average weight loss at 6 months was 8·4 kg with only 8% regaining their pre-operative weight. Large reductions in weight at 6 months post-operatively were recorded irrespective of the development of post-operative complications or early recurrent disease. Routine jejunostomy insertion is recommended to ensure adequate nutrition in patients who develop post-operative complications and for those patients with long-term reduced appetite and poor oral intake.