Gastric Cancer Perforation: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Gastric cancer perforation can occurs in advanced stage of the disease and is often associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Peritonitis due to perforation needs emergency laparotomy and different surgical procedures can be performed for definitive treatment. Surgical procedures largely depend on the stage of the disease and general condition of the patient. This study was carried out to evaluate the outcome and role of different surgical procedures in gastric cancer perforation. Methods: Medical record of patients with gastric perforation, who were treated during ten years period, was reviewed retrospectively. Data regarding clinical presentation, surgical procedures, staging and survival of patients were obtained. Results: Features suggestive of diffuse peritonitis were evident in all cases. The majority of the patients underwent emergency surgery except one who died during resuscitation. The majority of patients were in stage III and stage IV. Surgical procedure includes simple closure and omental patch in five patients, simple closure and gastrojejunostomy in nine patients, gastrectomy in six patients and Devine’s antral exclusion in one patient. Surgical site infection was the most common (45.5%) postoperative complication. Four patients died within one month of the surgery. Three patients who underwent gastrectomy survived for one year and one patient survived for five years. Conclusions: Although gastric cancer perforation usually occurs in advanced stage of the disease, curative resection should be considered as far as possible. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: gastric cancer; gastrectomy; laparotomy; perforation; peritonitis