Effects of Early Oral Feeding on Quality of Life Following Esophagectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background The role of early oral feeding (EOF) following esophagectomy remains debated. This study evaluates whether postoperative EOF improves patients' quality of life. Methods A comprehensive search was performed across eight databases to identify relevant studies. The effects of continuous variables were assessed using the mean difference (MD). The effects of dichotomous variables were assessed using the relative risk (RR). Results Seven studies were included in the analysis. EOF significantly improved postoperative overall quality of life [MD = 9.64, 95% CI (6.11, 13.16), p < 0.001], dysphagia [MD = -7.37, 95% CI (-14.32, -0.42), p = 0.040], and eating difficulty [MD = -6.72, 95% CI (-10.62, -2.82), p < 0.001]. However, no significant differences were observed in postoperative reflux [MD = -5.90, 95% CI (-12.52, 0.73), p = 0.080], esophageal pain [MD = -1.86, 95% CI (-5.51, 1.78), p = 0.320], anastomotic leakage [RR = 0.70, 95% CI (0.37, 1.35), p = 0.290], and pulmonary infection [RR = 0.44, 95% CI (0.15, 1.35), p = 0.150]. Conclusion EOF after esophagectomy appears to improve patients' quality of life; however, these findings are constrained by the limited number and quality of studies. Further research is needed to validate these results.