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Efficacy of Feeding Tube Placement during Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Chronic Pancreatitis

Malnutrition, intestinal dysmotility, and gastroparesis are frequent problems in patients with chronic pancreatitis who undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy. This has led to the practice of operative placement of enteral feeding tubes. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of feeding tubes placed during pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The records of 78 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for chronic pancreatitis were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Forty-nine patients who received feeding tubes at the time of operation were compared with 29 who did not have feeding tubes placed. Both groups had similar disease progress measured by duration of symptoms and preoperative nutritional status. During the observation period, there was a trend toward not using operative feeding tubes (first 6 years 84 per cent versus last 2 years 33%). The overall complication rate after pancreaticoduodenectomy was 54 per cent. Placement of a feeding tube was associated with an increase in intra-abdominal morbidity from 34 per cent to 57 per cent (P < 0.03). None of the patients had a complication directly related to placement of the feeding tube. Eighty-eight per cent of the placed feeding tubes were used. Despite feeding tube placement, 49 per cent of patients with feeding tubes required postoperative use of total parenteral nutrition compared with 55 per cent of patients without feeding tubes (P > 0.05). Length of hospital stay and hospital readmission during the first postoperative year were not affected by feeding tube placement. In conclusion, simultaneous feeding tube placement along with pancreatic head resection for chronic pancreatitis can be performed safely. The majority of the feeding tubes are used in postoperative care, but they do not prevent the need for total parenteral nutrition and do not shorten length of hospital stay.