A Review of Clinical Research on Herbal Medicine Treatment for Gastrointestinal Symptoms after Gastrectomy

Objectives: This study aimed to review clinical research on herbal medicine for gastrointestinal symptoms after gastrectomy.Methods: A literature search was conducted in OASIS, KISS, RISS, and CNKI using keywords related to gastrectomy, dumping syndrome, and herbal medicine. Ten studies (9 case reports and 1 case series) were included and analyzed for patient characteristics, surgical methods, symptoms, interventions, outcomes, and results.Results: The most common symptoms after gastrectomy were abdominal pain and anorexia. Herbal prescriptions frequently included Pyeongjingunbi-tang, Banhabaekchulcheonma-tang, and others, with herbs such as Glycyrrhiza, Zingiber, and Citrus Unshiu used most often. Most studies reported symptomatic improvement, and case series showed higher efficacy and lower recurrence rates in the herbal treatment groups compared to controls.Conclusions: Herbal medicine may provide beneficial adjunctive effects for postgastrectomy gastrointestinal symptoms, though larger randomized controlled trials are needed.