Preliminary prospective study of real-time post-gastrectomy glycemic fluctuations during dumping symptoms using continuous glucose monitoring

Background: Although dumping symptoms constitute the most common post-gastrectomy syndromes impairing patient quality of life, the causes, including blood sugar fluctuations, are difficult to elucidate due to limitations in examining dumping symptoms as they occur.

Aim: To investigate relationships between glucose fluctuations and the occurrence of dumping symptoms in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: Patients receiving distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I (DG-BI) or Roux-en-Y reconstruction (DG-RY) and total gastrectomy with RY (TG-RY) for gastric cancer (March 2018-January 2020) were prospectively enrolled. Interstitial tissue glycemic profiles were measured every 15 min, up to 14 d, by continuous glucose monitoring. Dumping episodes were recorded on 5 patient-selected days by diary. Within 3 h postprandially, dumping-associated glycemic changes were defined as a dumping profile, those without symptoms as a control profile. These profiles were compared.

Results: Thirty patients were enrolled (10 DG-BI, 10 DG-RY, 10 TG-RY). The 47 early dumping profiles of DG-BI showed immediately sharp rises after a meal, which 47 control profiles did not (P < 0.05). Curves of the 15 late dumping profiles of DG-BI were similar to those of early dumping profiles, with lower glycemic levels. DG-RY and TG-RY late dumping profiles (7 and 13, respectively) showed rapid glycemic decreases from a high glycemic state postprandially to hypoglycemia, with a steeper drop in TG-RY than in DG-RY.

Conclusion: Postprandial glycemic changes suggest dumping symptoms after standard gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Furthermore, glycemic profiles during dumping may differ depending on reconstruction methods after gastrectomy.