The effects of intensive oral care before surgery for gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES Oral function management has been recognized as important strategy for preventing postoperative complications. In this historical cohort study, we focused on the patients who planed gastrectomy, and investigated the appropriate duration and frequency of preoperative oral care to prevent complications after surgery. METHODS Patients who planed surgery for gastric cancer between 2012 to 2018 were enrolled. We defined intensive oral care as initial intervention at least three weeks before surgery and follow-up intervention within a week before surgery. As the primary outcome, the incidence of postoperative infectious complications was compared between the intensive oral care and non- intensive oral care groups. RESULTS A total of 576 patients were enrolled, including 66 with intensive oral care. The incidence of infectious complications was 2/66 (3.0%) in the intensive oral care group and 64/510 (12.5%) in the non-intensive oral care group. After adjusting for confounding factors, patients with intensive oral care exposure had a lower chance of developing postoperative infectious complications (Odds ratio; 0.217, 0.051-0.927). CONCLUSIONS Intensive oral care can help prevent postoperative infectious complications after gastrectomy. These findings suggest that appropriate preoperative oral care include at least two interventions: three weeks or more before and within one week before surgery.