POSTOPERATIVE NASOGASTRIC DECOMPRESSION IS NOT WARRANTED IN ELECTIVE CLOSURE OF GUT STOMAS AND BILIOENTERIC ANASTAMOSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Objective: to compare the outcome of postoperative nasogastric decompression versus no nasogastric decompression in cases of elective closure of gut stomas and bilioenteric anastamosis.material and methods: this randomized trial was conducted from 01-01-2006 to 31-10-3006 at lady reading hospital, peshawar on 119 patients admitted for stomal closure or bilioenteric anastamosis. group a included 58 patients subjected to postoperative nasogastric decompression and group b included 61 patients not subjected to postoperative nasogastric decompression. out of 119 patients, 61 (group a=30; group b=31) patients underwent gut stomas closure and 58 patients (group a=28; group b=30)underwent bilioenteric anastamosis. pediatric age group, oesophagogastric disease, emergency procedures and pre-operative co-morbid conditions were excluded.results: the male to female ratio in group a was 4:1 and in group b was 2.85:1. the morbidity between group a (60.0%) and group b (48.38%) was insignificant (p>0.05). no mortality was observed during hospital stay in both groups. length of hospital stay was 7.93+1.27 days in group a versus 6.54+0.85 days in group b. the number of nasogastric reinsertions was in 6 patients; three in either group with a delay of 2.6 days for duration of 3.1 days. abdominal distension was observed in 12 (60%) cases of stomal closure in group a versus 7 (22.5%) in group b. in patients undergoing bilioenteric anastamosis the mean stay in group a was no more than group b.conclusion: increase hospital stay and complication rates were observed in patiants receiving nasogastric decompression compered to those without ng tubes