Risk Factors for Delayed Gastric Emptying After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is a complication that affects the length of hospitalization and associated cost after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The reported risk factors for DGE were controversial. This study aimed to identify risk factors for the development of DGE after PD.

The patients who underwent PD between October 2010 and October 2020 were retrospectively examined. Multivariate analysis was performed to predict the variables causing DGE.

In total, 225 patients underwent PD. The pylorus preserving PD was applied to 151 patients (67%), whereas standard PD to 74 (33%). The DGE was detected in 26 patients (11.5%). The majority of cases were classified as grade A (57.7%), whereas 38.4% as grade B and 3.9% as grade C. In the multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 3.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-8.34; P = 0.05), the preoperative biliary stent (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.04-5.99; P = 0.039), and the pylorus resection (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.28-7.25; P = 0.012) were independently associated with DGE.

We demonstrated that implementation of the preoperative stent, pylorus resection, and diabetes mellitus are independent risk factors for DGE. Pylorus preservation should remain the standard of care in PD.