Short-Term Outcomes of Intracorporeal Delta-Shaped Gastroduodenostomy Versus Extracorporeal Gastroduodenostomy after Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND: Billroth I anastomosis is one of the most common reconstruction methods after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Intracorporeal Billroth I (ICBI) anastomosis and extracorporeal Billroth I (ECBI) anastomosis are widely used in laparoscopic surgery. Here we compared ICBI and ECBI outcomes at a major gastric cancer center. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 2,284 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy between 2009 and 2017. We divided the subjects into ECBI (n=1,681) and ICBI (n=603) groups, compared the patients’ clinical characteristics and surgical and short-term outcomes, and performed risk factor analyses of postoperative complication development. RESULTS: The ICBI group experienced shorter operation times, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stays than the ECBI group. There were no clinically significant intergroup differences in diet initiation. Changes in white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels were similar between groups. Grade II–IV surgical complication rates were 2.7% and 4.0% in the ECBI and ICBI groups, respectively, with no significant intergroup differences. Male sex and a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 were independent risk factors for surgical complication development. In the ECBI group, patients with a BMI ≥30 experienced a significantly higher surgical complication rate than those with a lower BMI, while no such difference was observed in the ICBI group. CONCLUSION: The surgical safety of ICBI was similar to that of ECBI. Although the chosen anastomotic technique was not a risk factor for surgical complications, ECBI was more vulnerable to surgical complications than ICBI in patients with a high BMI (≥30).

T-shaped Modified Delta Anastomosis as a Simple Intracorporeal Gastroduodenostomy

PURPOSE: A delta-shaped anastomosis (DA) is a widely accepted technique used for a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG). Several studies have suggested various modifications to overcome the drawbacks of an original DA. We present our novel technique―a T-shaped modified delta anastomosis (TDA), and we report the early outcomes with its use in a case series. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 40 patients who underwent a TLDG with TDA for early gastric cancer at OOO between February 2016 and May 2017. Perioperative outcomes, postoperative complications, and operating time were analyzed, and all data were expressed as means±standard deviation. RESULTS: We observed no major complications that required immediate postoperative intervention. Other minor and non-surgical complications were delayed gastric emptying (n=1), pneumonia (n=2), atelectasis (n=3), dumping symptom (n=1), and symptomatic bile reflux (n=1). No wound infection was reported in any patient. The total operative time was 206.5±25.4 min and the estimated blood loss was 27.8±33.5 ml. The mean time required to perform the anastomosis was 20.9±6.7 min, and the mean number of cartridges used during the operation was 4.78±0.66. CONCLUSION: We conclude that a TDA following a laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was successfully developed and showed acceptable clinical outcome.

Setting the Stomach Transection Line Based on Anatomical Landmarks in Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy

Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy has become widespread as a treatment for early gastric cancer in eastern Asia, but a standard method for setting the stomach transection line has not been established. Here we report a novel method of setting this line based on anatomical landmarks. At the start of the operation, two anatomical landmarks along the greater curvature of the stomach were marked with ink: the proximal landmark at the avascular area between the last branch of the short gastric artery and the first branch of the left gastroepiploic artery, and the distal landmark at the point of communication between the right and left gastroepiploic arteries. Just before specimen retrieval, the stomach was transected from the center of these two landmarks toward the lesser curvature. Then, about two-third of the stomach was reproducibly resected, and gastroduodenostomy was successfully performed in 26 consecutive cases. This novel method could be used as a standard technique for setting the transection line in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

Modified intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: early experience

PURPOSE: This study presents findings on the clinical usefulness of an overlap method that is another modification for the currently well-known intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG). METHODS: We studied 42 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer who underwent TLDG between December 2011 and March 2013. Endoscopic linear staplers were used for intracorporeal anastomosis and patients were observed with endoscopic tracking six months after surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the outcome of the operation, the clinical pathological results, and the endoscopy results. RESULTS: The mean duration of the operation for 42 patients was 228.3 +/- 42.5 minutes and the mean time to complete the anastomosis was 12.18 +/- 2.3 minutes. There were no mortalities and no cases of open conversion. Following the operation, 37 patients had stage IA, 5 in stage IB, and 3 in stage II gastric cancer. Abscesses were seen in 3 patients and 5 cases of stasis during the postoperative period. Duodenoscopy 6 months after the operation showed 11 cases of gastric stasis, 28 cases of bile reflux, and 1 new case of erosive gastritis. We did not observe contraction in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The overlap method for intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy, using an endoscopic linear stapler, can be considered a feasible and safe technique for the treatment of stomach cancer. However, a long-term comparative study is required to sufficiently evaluate our findings.

Delta-Shaped Gastroduodenostomy after Totally Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy: A Comparison Analysis between Early and Late Experience

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to evaluate the feasibility and the safety of a delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy after totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and to know about the factors having influence on surgeons' performance of anastomosis and technical details of this operation. METHODS: The clinical characteristics and the surgical results of 57 consecutive patients with delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy after TLDG at Incheon St. Mary's Hospital were reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups (before and after 20 cases) and their clinical characteristics and surgical results were compared. The factors which influenced the anastomotic time and the technical details of the operation were also investigated. RESULTS: There was no difference in age, gender, body mass index, surgical results except for operation time, anastomotic time, and starting day of oral feeding between the 2 groups. The experience of the surgeon was the only factor that influenced the anastomotic time. CONCLUSION: Delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy is a feasible and safe procedure even in the early years of a surgeon's career. It could feasibly be done in less than 20 minutes in relatively experienced hands.

Comparison of End-to-side and End-to-end Anastomosis in Circular Stapled Gastroduodenostomy

PURPOSE: The use of automatic circular staplers for gastroduodenostomy after distal gastrectomy is now widely accepted. We compared the clinical outcomes of two different methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2005 and February 2008, 134 patients with gastric cancer underwent distal gastrectomies. Seventy-six consecutive patients received end-to-side gastroduodenostomies (ES) between March 2005 and September 2006. The remaining 58 consecutive patients received end-to-end gastroduodenostomies (EE) between November 2006 and February 2008. We analyzed the surgical outcomes between the two groups (ES versus EE) on the basis of prospectively collected data. RESULTS: Among the clinical factors, there were no differences between the two groups. The overall complication rates were 19.7% in the ES group and 13.8% in the EE group (P=0.489). With respect to anastomosis-related complications, 2 cases had bleeding and 2 cases had stenoses in the ES group, while 2 cases in the EE group had bleeding. Re-operation was needed in the case of intraluminal bleeding in the ES group. There were no mortalities in our study. CONCLUSION: The two methods for gastroduodenostomy were safe and technically feasible. Although there was no statistical difference in the overall complications, including anastomosis-related complications, we demonstrated better outcomes with respect to anastomotic stenosis in the EE group.

Comparative Study of Delayed Gastric Emptying between Manual and Stapled Anastomosis in Patients Undergoing Subtotal Gastrectomy with Billroth I Gastroduodenostomy for Early Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Many surgeons are using stapled anastomosis in Billroth I gastroduodenostomy after subtotal gastrectomy because of the shorter operation time and simpler handling. However, many patients complain delayed gastric emptying after using EEA stapler. The delayed gastric emptying was compared between manual and stapled anastomosis in Billroth I gastroduodenostomy for stomach cancer. METHODS: 92 patients who performed Billroth I gastroduodenostomy after subtotal gastrectomy due to early gastric cancer at the Hanyang University Guri Hospital between January 2001 to December 2003 were reviewed. Delayed gastric emptying was diagnosed by patients' symptoms and upper gastrointestinal roentgenogram. Manual anastomosis was using the Albert-Lambert suturing and stapled procedure with EEA stapler (auto suture(R)). RESULTS: Of the 92 patients, 22 were in the stapled anastomosis group (a mean age of 61.58 years, M:16, F:6) and 70 in the manually anastomosis group(a mean age of 61.12 years, M: 44, F: 26). The incidence of delayed Gastric emptying were significantly lower in the manual than the stapler group (P=0.035), but the operation times and the hospitas stay were significantly shorter in stapler group (P=0.001 and 0.07, respectively). CONCLUSION: The manual group had better outcomes with regard to gastric emptying despite of the many advantages of stapled anastomosis in the filedld of intraabdominal operations. Various stapled anastomosis instruments and methods have been tried, but further studies are necessary if stapled anastomosis is to be the perfect substitute for manual anastomosis.

Sutureless Gastroduodenostomy

A gastroduodenostomy is the most physiological reconstruction after a distal gastrectomy. However, a gastroduodenostomy with either sutures or staples has many complications. These include bleeding, leakage and stenosis. A sutureless gastroduodenostomy with a biofragmentable anastomosis ring (BAR) in was used adenocarcinoma patients to prevent these complications from 1999. A BAR is composed of polyglycolic acid and Barium sulfate to allow for X-ray visualization. Hardy in first introduced the BAR in 1985. Since then, it has been used in an anastomosis of the colon or small bowel surgery but its use in a gastroduodenostomy is the first trial in the world. A 70 year male patient, old who received a subtotal gastrectomy (Billroth I), underwent a A sutureless gastroduodenostomy with a BAR. The gastroduodenostomy with the BAR was watertight and maintained the initial burst strength in the gastrografin X-ray study performed at the postoperative 1 week. The BAR began to fragment 3 weeks after the operation and disappeared from the digestive tract completely. The diameter of the anastomosis site was sufficient for passed foods. No other secondary changes from remained foreign bodies were found in the endoscopic examination. In a second operation to treat a primary hepatoma, there was no adhesive changes around the gastroduodenostomy site. In conclusion, a sutureless gastroduodenostomy with BAR is a safe, easy and efficient reconstructive method after a distal gastrectomy.

Sutureless Gastroduodenostomy after Radical Subtotal Gastrectomy

PURPOSE: A gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I) is the most physiologic reconstructive method available today, it has recently been used more frequently subsequent to radical subtotal gastrectomies for the treatment of gastric cancers. However, it is inevitable that gastroduodenostomies involving sutures or staples may have complications such as ulcers, bleeding, or constriction caused by remaining foreign materials. We analyzed the results of sutureless gastroduodeno stomies using biofragmentable anastomosis rings (BAR) with regard to safety, usefulness and profits. METHODS: Sutureless gastroduodenostomies using BAR (Valtrac, Davis & Geck Wayne, NJ) composed of polyglycolic acid and Barium for x-ray visualization, performed after radical subtotal gastrectomies in 17 gastric cancer patients in the period from 1999 to 2001. RESULTS: Five patients had early cancers and 12 had advanced cancers. The mean size of the tumor masses was 5.0 X 3.7 cm, and the mean lengths of the proximal and distal resection margins from the tumors were 7.6 cm and 3.0 cm respectively. The lengths of lesser curvature and greater curvature of the resection specimens were 10.6 cm and 20.5 cm respectively. Fourteen tumors were located in the antrum and the other 3 were located in the body. The mean operating time was 164.4+/-35.2 min., and the mean hospital stay was 14.1+/-3.1 days. Sips of water could be started 4.4+/-0.5 days after the operation. In all patients, the sutureless gastroduodenostomy site appeared watertight and maintained its initial burst strength, which was verified using gastrografin x-ray visualization performed 1 week after the operation. There were no anastomosis related complications in any of the patients; except for two mild satiety, which were treated quickly by the patients themselves. The BAR began to fragment 3 weeks after the operation, and disappeared completely within 4 weeks. The diameters of the anastomosis sites were large enough to pass foods without constriction and no other secondary changes developed in the Barium x-ray visualization or endoscopic examination, which was performed 1 month after the operation. CONCLUSION: A sutureless gastroduodenostomy using BAR is a safe, easy, and efficient reconstructive method to be used subsequent to a radical subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancers.

Gastroduodenostomy after Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer Comparative study of the single-layer and two-layer sutured anastomosis

PURPOSE: The technique of anastomosis for gastroduodenostomy is thought to be of importance to success in the postoperative period and to the development of certain complications. Most surgeons a use two-layer anastomosis method. However, interest in single-layer anastomosis has increased. Therefore, we investigated the differences between single-layer and two-layer methods for anastomosis by comparing clinicopathological parameters and clinical courses. METHODS: This report is a retrospective clinical analysis of 265 patients of gastric cancer who underwent gastroduodenostomy following distal gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital from Jan. 1991 to Dec. 1999. RESULTS: There was no significant difference observed between the two groups with regard to the mode of presentation, mean age, sex, or pathological characteristics of the tumor. The time for the anastomosis was shorter in the single-layer group (30.1+/-1.0 vs 37.1+/-2.1 minutes, p<0.001), the time of gas out was earlier in the single-layer group (4.4+/-1.1 vs 4.7+/-1.2 days, p=0.027) and the time of food intake was earlier in the single-layer group (5.7+/-0.8 vs 6.3+/-1.4 days, p<0.001) than in the two-layer group. Although the complication rate was not significantly different between the two groups, anastomotic leak was observed in 4 cases (2.7%) of the single-layer group and 3 cases (2.6%) of the two-layer group, and passage disorders were observed in 4 cases (2.7%) of the single-layer group and 5 cases (4.3%) of the two-layer group. CONCLUSION: A gastrodudenostomy using the single-layer anastomosis method has an advantage over the two-layer method for anastomosis with respect to the time for anastomosis, the time of gas out and time of food intake. Therefore the single-layer anastomosis method can be effectively employed in gastric cancer surgery.

Gastroduodenostomy after Distal Subtotal Gastrectomy in Gastric Cancer Patients Comparison between manual and stapled anastomosis

PURPOSE: A gastroduodenostomy after a distal subtotal gastrectomy is known to have several advantage over a gastrojejunostomy. However, recently, anastomotic methods using an EEA stapler during a gastro duodenostomy have been developed and have been reported to be superior to manual anastomosis with respect to operative time and complications. Thus, we investigated the differences between a manual and a stapled gastroduodenostomy by comparing the clinicopatholoic features and clinical course. METHODS: From January to October 1999 at Korea University Guro Hospital, a gastroduodenostomy using an EEA stapler was performed on 30 gastric cancer patients after a distal subtotal gastrectomy. From January 1996 to December 1998, a manual anastomosis had been used on 40 patients at the same hospital. A retrospective analysis of these two groups was made with respect to patients, tumor, operation, post operative complications and clinical course. RESULTS: The mean age of the stapled group was older than that of manual group (62.3+/-8.4 vs 53.0+/-10.7 years), and most of the tumors were located at the antrum and the body. In the stapled group, the operative time was significantly shorter than I was in the manual group (205.0+/-20.0 vs 239.6+/-37.3 minutes, p<0.001), and there was no significant difference in the resection margin between the two groups. The time of nasogastric (NG) tube removal was earlier in the stapled group (4.8+/-0.8 vs 5.9+/-2.2 days, p=0.007), but no significant differences were observed with respect to the oral intake and the complication rate between the two groups. Anastomotic stenosis was observed in one case of manual group, but it was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: A gastroduodeno stomy using an EEA stapler has an advantage over conventional manual anastomosis with respect to operation time and NG tube removal, so this method can be employed safely in aged and generally morbid patients to improve the postoperative course.

Comparative Study of the Manual and Stapled Anastomosis in Patients Undergoing a Billroth I Gastrectomy for Carcinoma of the Stomach

BACKGROUND : The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Billroth I method using an EEA stapler is safe, reliable, and easy-to-use for treatment of gastric cancer compared with a distal gastrectomy with conventional manual anastomosis. METHODS : A prospective comparative study was performed between forty patients with EEA stapling and thirty patients with manual suturing during gastroduodenostomies performed during the past three years with respect to operation time, diameter of anastomosis, postoperative clinical course, and post operative complications. RESULTS : The operation time was significantly shortened by about 50 minutes on the average, in the cases where the EEA stapler was used (p<0.001). On postoperative hypotonic duodenography, the diameter of the anastomosis was significantly larger in the cases where the EEA stapler was used (p< 0.001). However, the postoperative clinical course showed no difference between the two groups. Complications, such as anastomotic stenosis and anastomotic leak age were noted only in the cases where manual suturing was used. CONCLUSIONS : A gastroduodenostomy using the EEA stapler might be a faster, simpler and safer pro cedure compared with the gastroduodenostomy using the conventional manual anastomosis.