Probiotics may shorten hospital stay after gastric cancer surgery in small trial

This study looked at whether probiotics, given for 10 days starting the day after open surgery for gastric cancer, could help recovery. It was a small, single-center randomized trial with 42 patients, half receiving probiotics and half a placebo. The main finding was that the probiotic group had a shorter hospital stay and earlier return of gut function, such as passing gas and stools, and starting an oral diet. However, there were no significant differences in inflammatory markers, immune markers, nutritional status, or postoperative complications between the groups. Safety concerns were not reported, and the study did not track adverse events. The main reason to be careful is that this is a small, single-center trial, so the results may not apply to other hospitals or patient groups. Readers should see this as early, promising evidence that probiotics might help recovery after this specific surgery, but more research is needed before changing practice.