Trial Information

Phase III Study for the Significance of Nasogastric Decompression Tube After Curative Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer Patients

Nasogastric decompression tube is an intra-operative routine in most of the time to
facilitate exposure of operative field during elective distal gastrectomy, however, whether
it should be retained post-operatively is controversial. Nasogastric decompression tube
helps to drain the gastric remnant in case there is edema around the gastrojejunostomy,
ileus and delayed gastric emptying, which can theoretically relieve nausea and abdominal
distension. However, nasogastric intubation could cause patients discomfort; also it has
been shown that it would cause gastroesophageal reflux which may be associated with
pulmonary complication.