Feeding patients with preoperative symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction after pancreatoduodenectomy: Early oral or routine nasojejunal tube feeding?

Abstract

Background: Early oral feeding is currently considered the optimal routine feeding strategy after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Some have suggested that patients with preoperative symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) who undergo PD have such a high risk of developing delayed gastric emptying that these patients should rather receive routine postoperative tube feeding. The aim of this study was to determine whether clinical outcomes after PD in these patients differ between postoperative early oral feeding and routine tube feeding.

Methods: We analyzed a consecutive multicenter cohort of patients with preoperative symptoms of GOO undergoing PD (2010-2013). Patients were categorized into two groups based on the applied postoperative feeding strategy (dependent on their center's routine strategy): early oral feeding or routine nasojejunal tube feeding.

Results: Of 497 patients undergoing PD, 83 (17%) suffered from preoperative symptoms of GOO. 49 patients received early oral feeding and 29 patients received routine tube feeding. Time to resumption of adequate oral intake (primary outcome; 14 vs. 12 days, p = 0.61) did not differ between these two feeding strategies. Furthermore, overall complications and length of stay were similar in both groups. Of the patients receiving early oral feeding, 24 (49%) ultimately required postoperative tube feeding. In patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course, early oral feeding was associated with shorter time to adequate oral intake (8 vs. 12 days, p = 0.008) and shorter hospital stay (9 vs. 13 days, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Also in patients with preoperative symptoms of GOO, early oral feeding can be considered the routine feeding strategy after PD.

Keywords: Delayed gastric emptying; Early oral feeding; Enteral nutrition; Gastric outlet obstruction; Pancreatoduodenectomy; Tube feeding.