Totally intracorporeal laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Totally laparoscopic D2 radical distal gastrectomy using Billroth II anastomosis: A case report

Here, we present our first case of totally laparoscopic D2 radical distal gastrectomy using Billroth II anastomosis and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of minimal invasiveness, technical feasibility and safety for the resection of early gastric cancer. In the present case, only laparoscopic linear staplers were used for intracorporeal anastomosis. The time taken was 180 min, the anastomotic time was 15 min, the number of staples used was five, and the estimated blood loss was 30 ml. The first flatus was observed at 3 days, and a liquid diet was started at 6 days. The postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. No postoperative complications were noted with our case. In conclusion, totally laparoscopic Billroth II anastomosis using laparoscopic linear staplers for early gastric cancer is considered to be safe and feasible.

Quality of life after laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy: an evaluation using a questionnaire mailed to the patients

PURPOSE

This study investigated the postoperative quality of life (QOL) after laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LAPPG) in comparison to laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG).

METHODS

Twenty-one patients with early-stage gastric cancer underwent minimally invasive LADG (n = 12) or LAPPG (n = 9). Demographic and cancer-related data were obtained retrospectively from medical records. QOL was assessed using a 13-item questionnaire and the Japanese edition of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, which were mailed to patients twice postoperatively. Body weight and hemoglobin levels were measured at the same time.

RESULTS

Early upper abdominal pain was rated as significantly worse with LAPPG than with LADG at the first checkup (1.4 vs. 1.0, P = 0.02) but not at the second checkup (1.3 vs. 1.0, P = 0.07). There was a trend toward less body weight loss in the LAPPG patients in comparison to the LADG patients. The serum hemoglobin levels of LAPPG patients at the second checkup showed significantly higher than LADG patients (13.3 vs. 11.6 g/dL, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LAPPG and LADG produce similar QOL in patients. Trends toward less body weight loss and improved anemia in LAPPG patients may therefore become more pronounced in future studies that have adequate number of the patients and longer follow-up periods.

Totally laparoscopic Billroth II gastrectomy with a novel, safe, simple, and time-saving anastomosis by only stapling devices

BACKGROUND

Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy represents the evolution of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy. Most surgeons prefer laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy rather than totally laparoscopic procedures because of technical difficulties of intracorporeal anastomosis. We created one novel stapling anastomosis without hand-sewn technique in totally laparoscopic Billroth II gastrectomy. The feasibility and early surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic Billroth II gastrectomy with stapling anastomosis and with hand-sewn anastomosis were introduced in this study.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed early surgical outcomes in 70 patients who underwent totally laparoscopic Billroth II distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2010 and July 2011. The patients were divided into hand-sewn and device groups according to whether intracorporeal anastomosis was performed by only hand-sewn technique (n = 36) or only stapling devices (n = 34). In the device group, the gastrojejunostomy was performed using a circular stapler, and an additional side-to-side jejunojejunostomy was made at the site of jejunal enterotomy.

RESULTS

There was no difference in the mean number of lymph nodes retrieved in both groups. The blood loss (hand-sewn group 205.8 ± 37.4 vs. device group 201.2 ± 51.2 ml, p > 0.05) and hospital stay (hand-sewn group 6.5 ± 3.7 vs. device group 5.9 ± 4.1 days, p > 0.05) were similar in both groups. We found that intracorporeal anastomosis by totally stapling devices was associated with decreased operative time (hand-sewn group 239.0 ± 40.1 vs. device group 203.6 ± 27.9 min, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We suggest that intracorporeal anastomosis using only stapling devices in the described method was as safe and feasible as by hand-sewn technique. Moreover, it is a simple and time-saving method without any difficult hand-sewn procedures.