Esophagojejunal Anastomosis after Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: Circular versus Linear Stapling

Comparison of the safety of esophagojejunal overlap and π-shaped anastomosis in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

Globally, totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy is increasingly being accepted by surgeons for the treatment of gastric cancer. Overlap anastomosis and π-shaped anastomosis are the two most commonly used anastomosis methods in total laparoscopic surgery; however, their safety and suitability for the population are still unclear.

METHODS

A total of 162 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent total laparoscopic total gastrectomy with overlap or π-shaped anastomosis were retrospectively analyzed. The intraoperative conditions and postoperative complications were compared.

RESULTS

A significant difference in the tumor location was found between the two groups (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay between the two anastomosis methods (p > 0.05); however, the π-shaped anastomosis group had more postoperative anastomotic leakage (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Overlap anastomosis is recommended as the preferred anastomosis for totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy, and π-shaped anastomosis can be applied to non-gastroesophageal junction cancer with lower tumor location.

Short-term outcomes depending on type of oesophagojejunostomy in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: retrospective study based on a Korean Nationwide Survey for Gastric Cancer in 2019

BACKGROUND

The study aimed to assess postoperative complication rates of different oesophagojejunostomy (EJ) techniques used in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

METHODS

A total of 1155 patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy were retrospectively selected from the data obtained from the Korean Nationwide Survey for gastric cancer in 2019. Morbidity rate was compared between patients who received intracorporeal or extracorporeal EJ using linear or circular staplers during laparoscopic total gastrectomy. The variables of the groups were balanced using the inverse probability of treatment weighting.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and seventy-three patients received intracorporeal EJ using a linear stapler (IL), 137 received intracorporeal EJ using a circular stapler (IC), 134 received extracorporeal EJ using a linear stapler (EL) and 111 received extracorporeal EJ using a circular stapler (EC). The overall complication rates were lower in the extracorporeal group (EL: 13.4% versus EC: 12.6%) compared to the intracorporeal group (IL: 22.6% versus IC: 17.5%) (P = 0.006). Fewer major complications were observed in the extracorporeal group (EL: 1.4% versus EC: 1.8%) compared to the intracorporeal group (IL: 9.4% versus IC: 7.3%) (P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in EJ-related complications between the groups (P = 0.418 in EJ leakage and P = 0.474 in EJ stricture). Multivariable analysis showed that the IL method correlated with more overall and major complications than the extracorporeal method.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that despite its widespread use, the IL method is a challenging procedure with higher complication rates than the extracorporeal method. Further high-quality studies are required to confirm the results.

Esophagojejunostomy using a circular stapler vs. a linear stapler for gastric cardia cancer patients: impact of upper margin length and tumor size on the survival rate

Background

The incidence of gastric cancer is concomitantly rising with gastric cardia cancer worldwide. While the improvement of gastric cancer surgical techniques is glowing, this study assesses the impact of the upper margin length and tumor size on the survival rate for gastric cardia cancer patients who underwent total laparoscopic total gastrectomy(TLTG) or laparoscopic assisted total gastrectomy(LATG).

Materials and methods

A total of 63 patients with gastric cardia cancer who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy were retro-prospectively collected from January 2021 to May 2023. While assessing the impact of upper margin length and tumor size on the survival rate, esophagojejunostomy using a linear stapler has been compared to a circular stapler.

Results

The sixty-three patients met inclusion criteria; 32 (51%) underwent LATG and 31 (49%) underwent TLTG. Their mean age was 65 years (range, 45-77). The blood loss means in LATG and TLTG was 74.69 and 50.16 ml, respectively (p = 0.005), and surgery duration was higher in LATG than LATG with respective means of 247 min and 222.42 min. (p = 0.006). However, the tumor size means (p = 0.5), and upper margin length means (p = 0.052) were not significantly different in the LATG and TLTG groups, respectively. The number of resected and assessed lymph node was adequate in the LATG and TLTG groups. The current study still does not find an independent related risk from the upper margin length and tumor size to the survival rate according to the multiple regression analysis (p = 0.080).

Conclusion

The upper margin length and tumor size do not have a relationship with the survival rate of the compared esophagojejunostomy (EJS) methods. The EJS using a linear stapler requires a shorter surgery duration and less blood loss than EJS using a circular stapler.

Comparison of short-term and long-term clinical effects of modified overlap anastomosis and conventional incision-assisted anastomosis in laparoscopic total gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

To compare short-term and long-term clinical effects of modified overlap anastomosis and conventional incision-assisted anastomosis for laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients with gastric cancer admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2016 to March 2020. Quality of life, intraoperative and postoperative conditions were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the conventional assisted group, the modified overlap group showed a shorter auxiliary incision, milder postoperative pain, shorter time to the first postoperative anal exhaust, shorter time to the first postoperative liquid food intake, and shorter postoperative stay. There were no differences between the two groups regarding operation time, esophagus-jejunum anastomosis time, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes dissected, and length of the upper incision margin. There were no differences between the two groups regarding postoperative early and late complications. There were no differences between the two groups regarding the QLQ-C30 scale three years after the operation. The scores of the QLQ-STO22 scale 3 years after the operation showed significantly lower scores for dysphagia and feeding limit in the modified overlap group than those in the conventional assisted anastomosis group. There was no recurrence in the modified overlap group but one patient in the conventional assisted group.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy with modified overlap anastomosis have better minimal invasiveness and faster post-operative recovery than conventional incision-assisted anastomosis.

Optimal choice of stapler and digestive tract reconstruction method after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A prospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths, and is classified according to its location in the proximal, middle, or distal stomach. Surgical resection is the primary approach for treating gastric cancer. This prospective study aimed to determine the best reconstruction method after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

AIM

To explore the efficacy of different staplers and digestive tract reconstruction (DTR) methods after radical gastrectomy and their influence on prognosis.

METHODS

Eighty-seven patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer at our institution between April 2017 and April 2020 were included in this study, with a follow-up period of 12-26 mo. The patients were assigned to four groups based on the stapler and DTR plan as follows: Billroth Ⅰ (B-I) reconstruction + linear stapler group (group A, 22 cases), B-I reconstruction + circular stapler group (group B, 22 cases), Billroth II (B-II) reconstruction + linear stapler group (group C, 22 cases), and B-II reconstruction + circular stapler group (group D, 21 cases). The pathological parameters, postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery, postoperative complications, and quality of life (QOL) were compared among the four groups.

RESULTS

No significant differences in the maximum diameter of the gastric tumors, total number of lymph nodes dissected, drainage tube removal time, QLQ (QOL questionnaire)-C30 and QLQ-STO22 scores at 1 year postoperatively, and incidence of complications were observed among the four groups (P > 0.05). However, groups A and C (linear stapler) had significantly lower intraoperative blood loss and significantly shorter anastomosis time, operation time, first fluid diet intake time, first exhaust time, and length of postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.05) than groups B and D (circular stapler).

CONCLUSION

Linear staplers offer several advantages for postoperative recovery. B-I and B-II reconstruction methods had similar effects on QOL. The optimal solution can be selected according to individual conditions and postoperative convenience.

Short-term outcomes of different esophagojejunal anastomotic techniques during laparoscopic total gastrectomy: a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Different techniques have been described for esophagojejunostomy (EJ) during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer. Linear stapled techniques include overlap (OL) and functional end-to-end anastomosis (FEEA) while single staple technique (SST), hemi-double staple technique (HDST), and OrVil® are circular stapled approaches. Nowadays, the choice among techniques for EJ depends on operating surgeon personal preference.

PURPOSE

To compare short-term outcomes of different EJ techniques during LTG.

METHODS

Systematic review and network meta-analysis. OL, FEEA, SST, HDST, and OrVil® were compared. Primary outcomes were anastomotic leak (AL) and stenosis (AS). Risk ratio (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were used as pooled effect size measures, whereas 95% credible intervals (CrI) were used to measure relative inference.

RESULTS

Overall, 3177 patients (20 studies) were included. The technique for EJ was SST (n = 1026; 32.9%), OL (n = 826; 26.5%), FEEA (n = 752; 24.1%), OrVil® (n = 317; 10.1%), and HDST (n = 196; 6.4%). AL was comparable for OL vs. FEEA (RR = 0.82; 95% CrI 0.47-1.49), OL vs. SST (RR = 0.55; 95% CrI 0.27-1.21), OL vs. OrVil® (RR = 0.54; 95% CrI 0.32-1.22), and OL vs. HDST (RR = 0.65; 95% CrI 0.28-1.63). Similarly, AS was similar for OL vs. FEEA (RR = 0.46; 95% CrI 0.18-1.28), OL vs. SST (RR = 0.89; 95% CrI 0.39-2.15), OL vs. OrVil® (RR = 0.36; 95% CrI 0.14-1.02), and OL vs. HDST (RR = 0.61; 95% CrI 0.31-1.21). Anastomotic bleeding, time to soft diet resumption, pulmonary complications, hospital length of stay, and mortality were comparable while operative time was reduced for FEEA.

CONCLUSIONS

This network meta-analysis shows similar postoperative AL and AS risk when comparing OL, FEEA, SST, HDST, and OrVil® techniques. Similarly, no differences were found for anastomotic bleeding, operative time, soft diet resumption, pulmonary complications, hospital length of stay and 30-day mortality.

Feasibility and Potential of Reduced Port Surgery for Total Gastrectomy With Overlap Esophagojejunal Anastomosis Method

PURPOSE

Reduced port surgery (RPS) for gastric cancer has been frequently reported in distal gastrectomies but rarely in total gastrectomies. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of 3-port totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TLTG) with overlapping esophagojejunal (EJ) anastomosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 81 patients who underwent curative TLTG for gastric cancer (36 and 45 patients with 3-port and 5-port TLTG, respectively) were evaluated. All 3-port TLTG procedures were performed with the same method as 5-port TLTG, including EJ anastomosis with the intracorporeal overlap method using a linear stapler, except for the number of ports and assistants. Short-term outcomes, including the number of lymph nodes (LNs) harvested by station and postoperative complications, were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Clinical characteristics were not significantly different among the groups, except that the 3-port TLTG group was younger and had a lower rate of pulmonary comorbidity. There were no cases of open conversion or additional port placement. All operative details and the number of harvested LNs did not differ between the groups, but the rate of suprapancreatic LN harvest was higher in the 3-port TLTG group. No significant differences were observed in the overall complication rates between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Three-port TLTG with overlapping EJ anastomoses using a linear stapler is a feasible RPS procedure for total gastrectomy to treat gastric cancer.

Comparison of Postoperative Outcomes of Hand-Sewn Versus Stapled Esophago-jejunal Anastomosis During Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer in 72 Patients: A Retrospective, Single-Center Study in Poland

BACKGROUND Mechanical stapling is a commonly used alternative to hand-sewn technique for esophago-jejunal anastomosis in total gastrectomy (TG). Some studies report reduction in postoperative complications in the stapler group. This retrospective study aimed to compare short- and long-term surgical outcomes between the groups with stapled and hand-sewn esophago-jejunal anastomosis (EJA) during open TG for gastric cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 72 adult patients with gastric cancer who underwent TG in the Department of Digestive Tract Surgery in Katowice between May 2018 and December 2021. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the technique of EJA: stapled (44 cases) or hand-sewn (28 cases). We compared the groups in terms of the duration of the surgery, length of hospital stay, and occurrence of complications (focusing on anastomotic leakage, stricture and abdominal abscess). RESULTS There were no significant differences in duration of the surgery (P=0.6), blood loss (P=0.7), or length of postoperative hospital stay (P=0.2) among the groups. Early postoperative complications rates were 9.1% (4/44) in the stapler group and 17.9% (5/28) in the hand-sewn group (P=0.27). The most frequent complication was anastomotic leakage, with 2 cases in each group (P=0.76). The mean follow-up time was 1.8±0.9 (0.3-3.6) years. During this period the anastomotic stricture occurred in 7 (15.9%) cases with stapled anastomosis and in 5 (17.9%) cases with hand-sewn anastomosis (P=0.52). CONCLUSIONS In this study there were no significant differences in mortality, morbidity, and surgery duration between stapled and hand-sewn esophago-jejunal anastomosis in total gastrectomy.

Laparoscopic single-layer running "trapezoid-shaped" suture versus mechanical stapling for esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: cost-effect analysis of propensity score-matched study cohorts

OBJECTIVES

Totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy has been developed with difficulty in intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy. Although mechanical stapling has been widely used for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy, manual suture holds great promise with the emergence of high-resolution 3D vision and robotic surgery. After exploration of how to improve the safety and efficiency of intracorporeal suture for esophagojejunostomy, we recommended the technique of single-layer running "trapezoid-shaped" suture. The cost-effectiveness was analyzed by comparing with conventional mechanical stapling.

METHODS

The study retrospectively reviewed the patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer from January 2010 to December 2021. The patients were divided into two cohorts based on the methods of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy: manual suture versus stapling suture. Propensity score matching was performed to match patients from the two cohorts at a ratio of 1:1. Then group comparison was made to determine whether manual suture was non-inferior to stapling suture in terms of operation time, anastomotic complications, postoperative hospital stay, and surgical cost.

RESULTS

The study included 582 patients with laparoscopic total gastrectomy. The manual and stapling suture for esophagojejunostomy were performed in 50 and 532 patients, respectively. In manual suture cohort, the median time for the whole operation and digestive tract reconstruction were 300 min and 110 min. There was no anastomotic bleeding and stenosis but two cases of anastomotic leak which occurred at 3 days after surgery. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 11 days. After propensity score matching, group comparison yielded two variables with statistical significance: time for digestive tract reconstruction and surgery cost. The manual suture cohort spent less money but more time for esophagojejunostomy. Intriguingly, the learning curve of manual suture revealed that the time for digestive tract reconstruction was declined with accumulated number of operations.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic single-layer running "trapezoid-shaped" suture appears safe and cost-effective for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy. Although the concern remains about prolonged operation time for beginners of performing the suture method, adequate practice is expected to shorten the operation time based on our learning curve analysis.

Comparison Between Linear Stapler and Circular Stapler After Laparoscopic-Assisted Distal Gastrectomy in Patients With Gastric Cancer

Background and Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopy distal gastrectomy using a linear stapler compared with a circular stapler in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 173 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer at a single center from January 2018 to December 2020. Patients were categorized into the linear stapler group and the circular stapler group. General data, intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, postoperative pathological results, postoperative complications, and postoperative follow-up in the two groups were compared and analyzed.

Results

The operation time (208.76 ± 32.92 vs. 226.69 ± 26.92 min, p &lt; 0.05), anastomosis time (71.87 ± 9.50 vs. 90.56 ± 3.18 min, p &lt; 0.05), time to first flatus (68.60 ± 25.96 vs. 76.16 ± 21.05 h, p &lt; 0.05), time to the first sip of water (3.66 ± 0.61 vs. 4.07 ± 0.77 days, p &lt; 0.05), and time to the first liquid diet (4.43 ± 1.02 vs. 5.03 ± 1.70 days, p &lt; 0.05) were significantly shorter in the linear stapler group. In addition, the highest postoperative body temperature within 3 days (37.4 ± 0.61 vs. 37.7 ± 0.61, p &lt; 0.05) after the operation, white blood cell count (WBC) on the 3rd day (9.07 ± 2.52 vs. 10.01 ± 2.98 × 10∧9/L, p &lt; 0.05), and average gastric tube drainage within 3 days (36.65 ± 24.57 vs. 52.61 ± 37 ml, p &lt; 0.05) were also significantly lower in the linear stapler group.

Conclusions

Both circular and linear staplers are safe and feasible for gastrointestinal reconstruction in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. In contrast, a linear stapler has advantages over a circular stapler in shortening operation time and accelerating the postoperative recovery of patients.

Circular versus linear stapling oesophagojejunostomy after laparoscopic total gastrectomy. A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To assess which anastomosis technique is the most appropriate after laparoscopic total gastrectomy, a systematic review with meta-analysis has been performed to evaluate safety and efficacy of the linear versus circular stapler performing the oesophagojejunostomy.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed using the string: total AND gastrectomy AND (circular OR linear OR stapler). Extracted data were patients' number, gender, age, BMI, ASA Score, tumor stage. Outcomes were leakages, stenoses and bleedings, number of overall anastomotic complications, mortality, operative time, time to first flatus and diet resumption and length of stay of each group. A meta-analysis among the included studies was performed. A subgroup analysis, including the studies in which the Authors considered a single technique to perform each type of anastomosis (LS and CS), was performed. Meta-regression analyses were performed to assess if one or more demographic and clinical variables significantly impacted on the obtained results.

RESULTS

12 articles were included in the final analysis. A significant difference was observed in terms of "overall anastomotic complications" in favour of linear stapling (RD = 0.06, p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed in terms of postoperative complications anastomosis-related, even if a trend towards advantages of linear stapling have been found (stenosis: RD = 0.04, p = 0.06; bleeding: RD = 0.02, p = 0.05). However, all the study was retrospective and there was high heterogeneity among the studies.

CONCLUSION

Linear stapler seems to be related with lesser number of complication if compared with circular stapler. However, further high-quality studies are needed to obtain definitive conclusions.

Laparoscopic Gastric Resection for Gastric Cancer: Is Intracorporeal Anastomosis Necessary?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In surgical dissection, laparoscopic approach and open techniques do not differ significantly, but there is still no consensus on how anastomosis should be performed in both cardia and distal gastric tumors. Anastomosis can be performed by laparoscopy-assisted mini-laparotomy or by intracorporeal suture techniques. In this study, we aim to present our four years of clinical experience and short-term surgical results from 133 cases in order to evaluate the necessity of laparoscopic anastomosis.

METHODS

This study was approved by Ethics Committee (No: 1-8-19, date: 14/01/2019). Patients who underwent curative resection with the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma between January 2014 and January 2018 in the Ankara University Surgical Oncology Department were included in the study.

RESULTS

Of the 133 patients included in the study, 108 (81.2) were male and the mean age was 60.51 ± 12.0 years. The time of anastomosis was significantly longer in patients undergoing intracorporeal anastomosis (p = 0.021). The incidence of anastomotic leakage was significantly higher in the group undergoing intracorporeal anastomosis (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

We think that esophagojejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy anastomoses in patients undergoing total gastrectomy should be performed with intracorporeal techniques in terms of benefit risk assessment. We believe that it is more feasible to continue the case with mini laparotomy when anastomosis is reached in patients who are planned to have gastrojejunostomy. In addition, in terms of intracorporeal anastomoses and advanced laparoscopic techniques, intracorporeal anastomoses performed in gastric cancer surgery for a laparoscopist who has completed the learning curve do not appear to be very different in terms of anastomosis safety.