Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of L-alanin-L-glutamine supplementation on postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
Materials and Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2009, 132 patients who had undergone radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided in two groups. A Gln group (n=63) was given parenteral glutamine (0.5 g/kg/day, Dipeptiven, Fresenius Kabi, Austria, GmbH) with parenteral nutrition, and a non-Gln group (n=69) only received parenteral nutrition postoperative for 7 days. Age, gender, combined disease, body mass index (BMI), preoperative total protein and albumin, stage, operation, operation time, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality were analysed.
Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in patient demographics: age, gender, combined disease, BMI, and preoperative total protein and albumin. In both groups, tumor stage, operation type, and operative time were also similar. For postoperative complications, wound infection (P=0.044) and wound dehiscence (P=0.032) were significantly lower in the Gln group. However, there was no significant difference in terms of anastomotic leakage or other complications. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the Gln group (P<0.001). Finally, there was no significant difference between the groups in mortality.
Conclusion: Parenteral glutamine supplementation had effects of decreasing postoperative wound related complications and length of hospital stay in patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. But prospective, randomized data from a multicenter study are still needed. (SMN 2010;1:26-29)

• Keywords: Glutamine, Gastric cancer, Postoperative outcomes