The influence of needle catheter jejunostomy on weight development after oesophageal cancer surgery in a population-based study

Aims We aimed to assess whether needle catheter jejunostomy (NCJ) influences the weight development or discharge from hospital after oesophageal cancer surgery in an unselected and prospectively collected series of patients. Methods Data regarding patients who underwent oesophageal cancer surgery between April 2001 and October 2004 and were followed up until April 2005 were collected from the Swedish Esophageal and Cardia Cancer Register. Details of patient characteristics, including preoperative body weight and length, tumour characteristics, surgical procedures, including NCJ insertion, complications and ward time were obtained. Six months postoperatively the patients responded to a questionnaire that gave information about postoperative weight development. Relative risks were estimated as odds ratios (ORs) calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multinomial logistic regression, adjusted for patient and tumour characteristics, type of treatment, type of hospital and occurrence of complications. Results A total of 233 patients participated, among whom 48% received NCJ. Patients with NCJ had a 42% statistically non-significantly decreased risk of weight loss compared to those without NCJ after adjustment for covariates (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.25–1.39). Patients with NCJ had a non-statistically significantly longer hospital stay than patients without NCJ, but were seemingly less often discharged to other care homes than their own home compare to the group without NCJ (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.28–1.38). Conclusion Use of needle catheter jejunostomy might counteract weight loss and facilitate discharge to home after oesophageal cancer resection.