Objective  To evaluate the intestinal trophic effects and adverse reactions of nasojejunal and jejunostomy tube implants on patients with total gastrectomy.

  Methods  A total of 86 patients with advanced gastric cancer were randomly and equally divided into two groups. Groups A and B received enteral nutrition therapies through nasojejunal and jejunostomy feeding tube implants, respectively. The therapeutic efficacy of the two methods of enteral nutrition therapy and the corresponding adverse reactions observed in the two groups were compared.

  Results  Group B patients demonstrated shorter anal evacuation and defecation times than group A patients, the difference is statistically significant (P < 0.05). Moreover, the bodyweight, total protein, and albumin levels of the patients significantly decreased in both groups after enteral nutrition therapy was administered (P < 0.05). Postoperative nutritive indexes were higher in group B than in group A; however, no significant difference was obtained between the two groups (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, the patients in group B tolerated the treatment well compared with those in group A (P < 0.05). The complication rates of groups A and B were 18.6% and 23.3%, respectively, but this difference was not significant (P > 0.05).

  Conclusion  Patients subjected to total gastrectomy showed higher tolerance to jejunal tube implants for enteral nutrition than to nasojejunal tube implants, indicating that jejunal tube implants can be used to improve the nutritional status of patients.