Comparison of changes in nutritional status, pancreatic function and quality of life according to gender after pancreatectomy

Abstract

To compare and analyze changes in nutritional status, pancreatic function and quality of life (QoL) according to gender after pancreatectomy. Patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between 2007 and 2013 were included. Data on relative body weight (RBW); triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT); body mass index (BMI); serum protein, albumin, transferrin, fasting blood glucose, postprandial 2-h glucose, and stool elastase levels; and QoL questionnaire scores were collected serially for 5 years. RBW, TSFT, and BMI showed similar patterns of change between male and female patients. Biochemical parameters recovered to preoperative values 3 months after surgery in both groups. There was no significant difference in the incidence of diabetes mellitus or impaired fasting glucose between men and women during the follow-up period except for 6 months after surgery. Stool elastase levels showed similar patterns in the two groups from 12 months after surgery. Male patients scored relatively higher than female patients on the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. There was a significant difference in global health status/QoL between the two groups at 6 and 12 months after surgery and female gender was an independent risk factor for low global health status/QoL in a multivariate analysis. In EORTC QLQ-PAN26 questionnaire, female patients showed a relatively slow decrease in symptom scale scores than male patients. Although female patients showed better nutritional status than males after pancreatectomy, the rate of complaining of functional difficulties and surgery-related symptoms was relatively higher than males in quality of life analysis.