Weight Loss, Satiety, and the Postprandial Gut Hormone Response After Esophagectomy: A Prospective Study

To prospectively characterize changes in body weight, satiety, and postprandial gut hormone profiles following esophagectomy.

With improved oncologic outcomes in esophageal cancer, there is an increasing focus on functional status and health-related quality of life in survivorship. Early satiety and weight loss are common after esophagectomy, but the pathophysiology of these phenomena remains poorly understood.

In this prospective study, consecutive patients undergoing esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction were studied preoperatively and at 10 days, 6 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) immunoreactivity of plasma collected immediately before and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes after a standardized 400-kcal mixed meal was determined. Gastrointestinal symptom scores were computed using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaires.

Body weight loss at 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively among 13 patients undergoing esophagectomy was 11.1 ± 2.3% (P < 0.001) and 16.3 ± 2.2% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Early satiety (P = 0.043), gastrointestinal pain and discomfort (P = 0.01), altered taste (P= 0.006), and diarrhea (P= 0.038) scores increased at 3 months postoperatively. Area under the curve for the satiety gut hormone GLP-1 was significantly increased from 10 days postoperatively (2.4 ± 0.2-fold increase, P < 0.01), and GLP-1 peak increased 3.8 ± 0.6-, 4.7 ± 0.8-, and 4.4 ± 0.5-fold at 10 days, 6 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively (all P < 0.0001). Three months postoperatively, GLP-1 area under the curve was associated with early satiety (P = 0.0002, R = 0.74), eating symptoms (P = 0.007, R = 0.54), and trouble enjoying meals (P = 0.0004, R = 0.73).

After esophagectomy, patients demonstrate an exaggerated postprandial satiety gut hormone response, which may mediate postoperative changes in satiety, body weight, and gastrointestinal quality of life.