Objectives: To analyze the results of a new type of bypass procedure, stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy (SPGJ), for unresectable gastric carcinoma and to compare these results with those of conventional gastrojejunostomy (GJ).
Design: Retrospective review.
Setting: A university hospital in Japan.
Patients: Eight patients underwent SPGJ in 1 group, and 13 underwent conventional GJ in the other group. Staging was determined using preoperative diagnostic imagings and intraoperative findings.
Main outcome measures: Assessment of food intake and mean survival rates.
Results: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding male-female ratio, mean age, and histological type of carcinoma. All patients had stage IV cancers according to the classification of the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer. The rates of taking a regular meal at 2 weeks after an operation were 88% in the SPGJ group and 31% in the GJ group (P < .05). The mean 1-year survival rates for SPGJ and GJ groups were 42.9% and 7.7%, respectively (P < .05). The mean survival times were 13.4 months in the SPGJ group and 5.8 months in the GJ group (P < .05).
Conclusions: Stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy achieved an improved quality of life and a better prognosis for patients, and it is the preferred bypass procedure for unresectable gastric carcinoma.