Volume 17│Number 2│Jul-Dec 2017 12 PMJN Postgraduate Medical Journal of NAMS Nasogastric Tube Decompression in Stomach and Small Bowel Surgery Pokharel N,* Adhikari S,** *Resident, ** Professor, NAMS Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: The use of nasogastric tube(NGT) aſter abdominal operaons is intended for early return of bowel funcon and to avoid pulmonary complicaons by prevenng voming which can cause aspiraon pneumonia. Many studies in the past few decades have suggested that the roune use of nasogastric tube decompression has no benefit in prevenng the postoperave morbidity. In our country, the roune use of nasogastric decompression is sll in pracce in most of the instuons by the surgeons. This study aims to see the outcome of NGT decompression in postoperave period in all surgeries involving stomach and small bowel. METHOD: Between July2015 and May 2017, all the 120 paents undergoing elecve reseconal stomach and small bowel surgery were included for the study of which 65(54.2) were randomized to nasogastric decompression group (NGT) and 55(45.8) were randomized to no nasogastric decompression (NNGT) group. The postoperave courses of both groups were recorded. The postoperave results were analyzed and conclusion was made. RESULT: The mean age distribuon in NGT inseron and NNGT inseron group was 50.88± 15.89 and 48.93±15.54 respecvely, there was no significant difference across the age distribuon. The sex distribuon between the groups didn’t show any stascal difference (p value-0.088).The rate of abdominal distension was more in NGT group 8(12.30%) as compared to NNGT group 2(3.6%) but the difference was not stascally significant. Voming was seen in 1(1.5%) case in NGT group but none of the paent in NNGT group had voming. Anastomoc leak was seen in 7(10.8%) in NGT groupand 3(5.5%) in NNGT group which on stascal analysis didn’t show any significance (p value- 0.296).The day of first bowel sound was similar in groups,2.68+/-0.752 days in NGT group and 2.67+/- 0.747 days in NNGT group (p value-0.96), without any significant difference between the groups. However the me of passage of flatus was3.25+/-0.613 days in NGT group but was earlier 3.05+/-0.731 days in NNGT group even though it was stascally not significant(p value - 0.159). The start of oral feed on postoperave days which was tolerated by the paent was similar between the groups, 2.69+/-0.748 days in NGT and 2.78+/-0.658 days in NNGT group, (p value-0.343).The rate of pulmonary complicaons was higher in the NGT group 9(13.8%) than4(7.3%) in NNGT group but it was not stascally significant, (P = 0.250). The overall complicaons rate was 29(44.60%)in NGT group whereas it was 24(43.60%) in NNGT group which was not stascally significant, (p value- 0.914). However, with regard to number of days of stay postoperavely, the NGT group had 17.899+/-6.67 days which was longer than NNGT group, 14.4+/-7.23 days, this was stascally significant in the favor of NNGT group. CONCLUSION: Roune use of NGT seems to serve no beneficial purpose and may even be harmful in paents aſter abdominal surgery and it is uncomfortable for the paents as well. Therefore, NGT use may be only recommended as a therapeuc approach for abdominal distension and voming not as roune use in postoperave paents. KEY WORDS: Aspiraon pneumonia, Nasogastric decompression, Resecon Correspondence : Dr. Nabin Pokharel Resident, Naonal Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital Mobile: 9841551395 Email: nabindai@yahoo.com Original Article