[Quality of life after resection of the stomach]

The quality of life after operation was analyzed using a questionnaire from 283 patients who received gastrectomy between 1972 and 1983 at Kobe University Hospital. Kruskal-Wallis analysis and Dunn's multiple comparison analysis were used to analyze multiple factors consisting of background, therapeutic and prognostic factors when the level of social activity is considered as the final evaluation. Categorical principle component analysis was used to examine the relationship among each factor and to verify the former results. The background factors played an important role for the outcome (i.e., longer survivors and/or patients with beign disease had better outcomes and patients over 60 years and/or with body weight less than 50kg had worse outcomes). In the analysis of therapeutic factors, it was suspected that suitable resection under suitable curability and/or suitable reconstruction method in the total resection of the stomach contributed to a better outcome. Also, therapeutic control of diarrhea after gastrectomy was suspected as being important among the many prognostic factors.