Endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric neoplasm in patients with co-morbidities categorized according to the ASA Physical Status Classification

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has come to be widely performed for reduced invasiveness; however, its safety in patients with co-morbidities is not fully examined. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gastric ESD with co-morbidities categorized according to ASA Physical Status Classification.

METHODS

Two hundred and forty patients of ASA 1 (no co-morbidities), 268 of ASA 2 (mild), and 19 of ASA 3 (severe) were treated by ESD for gastric neoplasms. We retrospectively compared clinicopathological features and treatment results of these three groups.

RESULTS

Cases (by percent) treated with anticoagulant/platelet agents were more common in the higher ASA grades (ASA 1, 5.8%; ASA 2, 29.1%; ASA 3, 31.6%; P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in case numbers treated under guideline criteria, curative resection (ASA 1, 79.6%; ASA 2, 79.9%; ASA 3, 78.9%), or complications related to the ESD procedure (e.g., postoperative bleeding, perforation, thermal injury). By a patient risk prediction model on surgery, i.e., P-POSSUM, morbidity was halved, and no patients died compared to a predicted death rate of 0.5-2%; however, total and complications unrelated to ESD procedure (e.g., aspiration pneumonia, ischemic heat attack) were more common in higher ASA grades (ASA 1, ASA 2, ASA 3: 15.4, 23.9, 26.3%, respectively, P = 0.014; 0.4, 7.1, 0%, respectively, P = 0.00087). Deviation rates from clinical pathway were more frequent and hospital stay (days) longer in higher ASA grades (ASA 1, ASA 2, ASA 3: 11.3, 17.9, 26.3%, respectively, P = 0.014; 8, 8, 9%, respectively, P = 0.0053).

CONCLUSIONS

ESD is an efficient treatment for gastric neoplasms with co-morbidities. However, additional caution is required because co-morbidity is a risk factor for both total complications and complications unrelated to the ESD procedure, and may cause deviations in the clinical course and prolonged hospital stay.

Totally intracorporeal delta-shaped B-I anastomosis following laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using the Tri-Staple™ reloads on the manual Ultra handle: a prospective cohort study with historical controls

BACKGROUND

A delta-shaped anastomosis in totally laparoscopic Billroth I gastrectomy could be performed easily and sufficiently using only laparoscopic linear staplers. However, the restricted maneuverability and severe blurring of these staplers along with their limited hemostability induced strain. In this study, we determined the feasibility and safety of performing delta-shaped anastomosis using the Endo GIA™ Reloads with Tri-Staple™ Technology combined with Endo GIA™ Ultra Universal stapler (Tri-Staple) with a particular focus on short-term surgical outcomes.

METHODS

We performed a single-institutional prospective interventional study (UMIN 000008014). The Tri-Staple was prospectively used on 23 consecutive patients who underwent a curative totally laparoscopic Billroth I gastrectomy with delta-shaped anastomosis. These patients were matched with the 19 patients previously treated using the ENDOPATH(®) ETS Articulating Linear Cutters (ETS) on clinical and demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

There were no differences between the groups in anastomosis-related local complications, morbidity, non-anastomosis-related local complications, total systemic complications, and short-term outcomes with the exception of significantly reduced blood loss in the Tri-Staple group (ETS vs. Tri-Staple: 37 [10-306] vs. 15 [5-210] mL, p = 0.02). Intraoperative bleeding from the staple line was significantly reduced in the Tri-Staple group. The postoperative drain indwelling period (ETS vs. Tri-Staple, 6 [4-10] vs. 4 [2-43] days, p = 0.032), fasting period (5 [3-7] vs. 3 [3-24] days, p = 0.022), and hospital stay (14 [10-47] vs. 11 [6-58] days, p = 0.025) were significantly shorter in the Tri-Staple group. There was no mortality in this series. Acceleration assessed as indices of blurring of stapler tip might have a significant adverse influence on staple-line bleeding at stapling sites.

CONCLUSION

Totally laparoscopic Billroth I distal gastrectomy using Tri-Staple was feasible and safe with favorable short-term surgical outcomes. Reduced blurring while stapling may be a novel endpoint which newly developed stapling devices should target.