OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of continual jejunal interposition in digestive tract reconstruction after subtotal gastrectomy.

METHODSThirty-four patients with distal gastric cancer were divided randomly into two groups. In group A, the digestive continuity was reconstructed by continual jejunal interposition in 16 patients after subtotal gastrectomy. In group B, the digestive tract of other 18 cases were reconstructed by Billroth II procedure. The postoperative comp1ications, nutritional status, food intake and gastroscopic results were compared.

RESULTSThere were no complications such as anastomotic leakage or obstruction in the two groups. The Visick scoring of group A was better than that of group B, and the difference was significant one year after operation (mu= 1.98, P< 0.05). All patients retrieved 85% of preoperative food intake per meal in group A, while only l4 patients got such results in group B. The weight loss was significantly higher in group B than that in group A(t = - 2.181, P= 0.037) after operation. The serum albumin level after operation in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (t=2.125, P=0.041), the level one year after operation in group A was also significantly higher than that before operation (t= - 2.175, P= 0.011). Gastroscopy one year after operation revealed fluent stoma,no bile reflux,and no congestion and edema in stomal mucosa and interposed jejunum in group A, while bile retention in 11 cases (61.1%), stomal inflammation in 13 cases (72.2%), and stomal ulcer in 2 cases (11.1%) in group B.

CONCLUSIONContinual jejunal interposition after subtotal gastrectomy can recover physiological continuity of digestive tract and improve the quality of 1ife without reflux gastritis.