Relationship between gastroduodenal interdigestive migrating motor complex and quality of life in patients with distal subtotal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer

A total of 40 patients (28 males, 12 females; mean age, 56.6 years; range, 41-72 years), 1-1.5 years (mean, 1.4 years) after subtotal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer (Billroth I, D-2 lymph node dissection, curability A) were divided into 2 groups according to the occurrence of interdigestive migrating motor complex (IMMC), phase III from the duodenum, and their postoperative quality of life was compared. Results were as follows: (i) patients in the IMMC, phase III positive group (28 patients) had evidently more appetite and ate more food, with less decrease in body weight compared with the IMMC, phase III negative group (12 patients); and (ii) patients in the IMMC, phase III positive group had clearly less symptoms, such as early dumping symptoms (systemic symptoms), symptoms of reflux esophagitis (e.g. heartburn, feeling of regurgitation, difficult swallowing), nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distention, and borborygmus, compared with the negative group. These results showed more satisfactory quality of life in the IMMC, phase III positive group compared with the negative group.