Incidence of Megaloblastic Anemia after Subtotal Gastrectomy

Abstract

MEGALOBLASTIC anemia indistinguishable from pernicious anemia is a late but inevitable sequela of total gastrectomy and probably of proximal subtotal gastrectomy with esophagoantrostomy.^{1 2 3} This conclusion was reached with the use of the absorption of radioactive vitamin B₁₂ as an assay of intrinsic factor in the gastrointestinal tract and the determination of the incidence of megaloblastosis after total gastrectomy when all patients undergoing this operation at one institution were followed for more than three years. Megaloblastic anemia has been reported after distal subtotal gastrectomy, but the true incidence has never been investigated. Anemia after subtotal gastrectomy is common (as high . . .