Background: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to clarify the effectiveness of preserving the celiac branch (CB) of the vagal trunk after the Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction in laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG).
Methods: One hundred twenty patients with pathological stage I gastric cancer underwent R-Y reconstruction after LADG with D1 + β lymphadenectomy between January 2004 and March 2009 and were followed up for 5 years. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the preservation group (P-CB) and the resection group (R-CB). Evaluated variables included symptoms, endoscopic findings, nutritional status, and gallstone formation at 5 years after gastrectomy.
Results: Gallstone formation was significantly less common in P-CB than in R-CB (16 vs. 33%, p = 0.035). One patient (2%) in P-CB and 4 (7%) in R-CB underwent surgery for symptomatic gallstones. On multivariate analysis of gallstone formation, R-CB was an independent risk factor for gallstone formation (odds ratio = 2.5, 95% confidential interval: 1.0-6.1, p = 0.049). Symptoms and endoscopic findings did not differ significantly between the groups. Relative values of body weight, serum albumin level, and total cholesterol level also did not significantly differ between the groups.
Conclusion: Preserving the CB independently contributes to the prevention of gallstone formation during long-term follow-up after R-Y reconstruction following LADG.
© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.