Early Oral Feeding After Gastrectomy Reduces Hospital Stay and Improves Recovery

Strategic Insights -

Current research on the treatment of gastric cancer has yielded promising results, with early oral feeding (EOF) after gastrectomy showing significant reductions in hospital stay and improvements in recovery. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Kazan Federal University, EOF was found to be a safe and effective approach after gastrectomy, promoting faster recovery without increasing complications. The study, which included 1,847 patients from 15 studies, demonstrated consistent findings across various surgical techniques, extent of gastrectomy, and study design. However, the certainty of evidence was rated as very low due to concerns regarding risk of bias, heterogeneity, and imprecision.

Key Takeaways:

  • Early oral feeding after gastrectomy significantly reduced hospital stay by 1.82 days and time to first anal exhaust by 0.85 days.
  • EOF improved albumin and prealbumin levels in gastric cancer patients.
  • The study included 1,847 patients from 15 studies, with consistent findings across surgical techniques, extent of gastrectomy, ERAS protocol implementation, and study design.
  • Subgroup analyses demonstrated no significant differences in postoperative complications or feeding intolerance between EOF and delayed oral feeding.
  • The certainty of evidence was rated as very low due to concerns regarding risk of bias, heterogeneity, and imprecision.
  • Reza Daghayeghi, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, was a key researcher on the study.
  • Additional authors included Leila Mohajeri, Navid Rostami, Yasamin Moeinipour, Reza Hossein Zadeh, Raoul Hossein Zadeh, Reza Shah Hosseini, Mohsen Jabbari, Komeil Aghazadeh Habashi, and Niloofar Deravi.

Statistics:

  • Hospital stay was reduced by 1.82 days with early oral feeding.
  • Time to first anal exhaust was reduced by 0.85 days with early oral feeding.
  • 1,847 patients were included in the study.
  • 15 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.
  • The studies demonstrated consistent findings across various surgical techniques and study design.
  • The certainty of evidence was rated as very low due to concerns regarding risk of bias, heterogeneity, and imprecision.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies from Kazan Federal University in the Area of Gastric Cancer Reported (Early oral feeding after laparoscopic total gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies). World Disease Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 131.
  • Daghayeghi, R., et al. (2025). Early oral feeding after laparoscopic total gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. BMC Gastroenterology, 25(1), 709.
  • BMC Gastroenterology. (n.d.). BMC Gastroenterology. Retrieved from
  • Kazan Federal University. (n.d.). Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology. Retrieved from