Comparison of unpalatable meal contents between patients who underwent total and distal gastrectomies

Unpalatable meal contents have several impacts on the dietary life of patients who undergo gastrectomy. However, few studies have focused on the unpalatable meal contents according to surgical procedure. This study aims to clarify the differences in the unpalatable meal contents between the patients who underwent total and distal gastrectomies (TG and DG, respectively).

This study involved patients (n = 341) who underwent TG or DG within 5 years, and a questionnaire of unpalatable meal contents was used. The data on the demographics, operation types, Dysfunction After Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery 20 (DAUGS20) scoring system, and nutrition conditions were confirmed. Furthermore, these were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared between TG (n = 180) and DG (n = 161) groups.

The unpalatable meal contents that were significantly different between two groups were big in size (p = 0.013), solid (p = 0.040), rough (p = 0.041), and dry (p = 0.045), which were more difficulty in the TG group. Furthermore, the strong sour taste was more difficulty in the DG group (p = 0.031).

The meals which the TG group had difficulty eating were characteristic of sticking or stagnating in the digestive tract, making the passage of food more difficult in the TG patients. This was because they had a smaller storage for foods and a narrower space at the anastomotic region than those who underwent DG.

The meal contents were assumed to have been influenced by the surgical procedure. We conclude that the patients in the TG group felt more difficulty in eating the meal contents that could stagnate at the anastomotic region than those in the DG group.