Abstract
The postoperative gastric atony presents a regular early complication after each laparotomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of gastroduodenal decompression on the development of postoperative gastroplegia, the association of gastric atony with risk of other postoperative complications and the influense of nasogastric decompression on early postoperative feeding. 236 patients who underwent elective small bowel and colorectal surgery were evaluated according to the fact whether a profylactic nasogastric tube was applied or not.
Neither a higher incidence of gastric atony nor a rate of other postoperative complications in the patients with profylactic gastroduodenal decompression was detected. The difference in the beginning of enteral feeding was statistically significant.
The patients with gastroplegia had a higher incidence of the laparotomy wound dehis- cence and of postoperative bronchopneumonia. The authors recommend a selective gastroduodenal decompression after elective bowel surgery only.