Background
Internal hernia (IH) and small bowel obstruction (SBO) are serious complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Whether closure of Petersen's defect (PD) might reduce the rates is unknown.
Methods
Patients underwent gastrectomy with PD were enrolled. From January 2014 to January 2017, we performed gastrectomy without closure of PD (non-closure group). From February 2017 to June 2018, we closed PD (closure group). The rates of IH, suspected internal hernia (SIH), and SBO were compared between the two groups.
Results
Among a total of 1213 patients, 151 patients (12.4%) developed SBO after gastrectomy, 10 patients (0.8%) developed IH and 20 patients (1.6%) developed SIH. The rate of SBO and SIH were 15.0% (124/828) and 2.3% (19/828) respectively in the non-closure group, compared with 7.0% (27/385) and 0.3% (1/385) in the closure group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.015 respectively). The rate of IH in the closure group (1/385, 0.3%) was lower than the non-closure group (9/828, 1.1%). Non-closure of PD was a risk factor for IH and SIH [odds ratio (OR) 6.58, 95%CI 1.56–27.85, p = 0.011].
Conclusions
Closure of PD is recommended after gastrectomy, as we noticed a significantly lower rate of SBO and SIH, and a tendency for lower rate of IH.