Delayed Gastric Emptying After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Is Subtotal Stomach Preserving Better or Pylorus Preserving?

Background: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is one of the main complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Literature review and meta-analysis were used to evaluate whether subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (SSPPD) may have less incidence than pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD). Methods: Online search for studies comparing PPPD to SSPPD was done. Primary outcome was DGE. Quality of included studies was evaluated and heterogeneity was assessed. Relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from pooled data in RCTs and retrospective studies. Results: Eight studies met our selection criteria, with a total of 663 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy; 309 underwent PPPD and 354 underwent SSPPD. Median age was 66 years. Average male/female ratio was 57 vs. 43 %, respectively. There was lower incidence of DGE with SSPPD (RR 0.527; 95 % CI 0.363–0.763; p < 0.001) and less nasogastric tube days with SSPPD (RR −0.544; 95 % CI −876 to −0.008; p = 0.047). Operative blood loss was more in SSPPD (RR 0.285; 95 % CI 0.071–0.499; p = 0.009). There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding length of hospital stay, incidence of pancreatic fistula, abscesses, overall morbidity, or postoperative mortality. Conclusion: SSPPD was associated with less DGE than PPPD. Larger prospective randomized studies are needed to investigate the association of this result with other complications in more depth.