• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.219-224
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• 2011

Purpose: The Roux en Y method has rarely been performed due to longer operation time and high risk of complication, despite several merits including prevention of bile reflux. We conducted a retrospective review of the result of Roux en Y reconstruction using two circular staplers after subtotal gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: From December 2008 to May 2009, a total of 26 patients underwent Roux en Y reconstruction using two circular staplers after subtotal gastrectomy, and seventy-two patients underwent Billroth-I reconstruction. Roux en Y anastomosis was performed using two circular staplers without hand sewing anastomosis. We compared clinicopathologic features and surgical outcomes between the two groups. All patients underwent gastrofiberscopy between six and twelve months after surgery to compare the bile reflux. Results: No significant differences in clinicopathologic findings were observed between the two groups, except for the rate of minimal invasive surgery (P=0.004) and cancer stage (P=0.002). No differences in the rate of morbidity (P=0.353) and admission duration (P=0.391) were observed between the two groups. Gastrofiberscopic findings showed a significant reduction of bile reflux in the remnant stomach in the Roux en Y group (P=0.019). Conclusions: When compared with Billroth-I reconstruction, Roux en Y reconstruction using the double stapler technique was found to reduce bile reflux in the remnant stomach without increasing postoperative morbidity. Based on these results, we planned to begin a randomized controlled clinical trial for comparison of Roux en Y reconstruction using this method with Billroth-I anastomosis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.337-343
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• 2020

Distal gastrectomy with Billroth I or II reconstruction may cause duodenogastroesophageal reflux (DGER), thereby resulting in digestive or respiratory symptoms. The mainstay of treatment is medication with proton pump inhibitors. However, these drugs may have limited effects in DGER. Laparoscopic fundoplication has been proven to be highly effective in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but it cannot be performed optimally for GERD that develops after gastrectomy. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with a history of distal gastrectomy and Billroth I anastomosis due to early gastric cancer. GERD due to bile reflux occurred after surgery and was refractory to medical therapy. The patient underwent Roux-en-Y conversion from Billroth I gastroduodenostomy and hiatal hernia repair with only cruroplasty. Fundoplication was not performed. His symptoms improved significantly after the surgery. Therefore, laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair and Roux-en-Y conversion can be an effective surgical procedure to treat medically refractory DGER after Billroth I gastrectomy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.215-222
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• 2009

Purpose: Billroth II gastroenterostomy is a typical reconstruction method after distal gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma, but it has problems, especially frequent reflux esophagitis. Various methods have been tried to address this problem. Among them are Braun enteroenterostomy and Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy, which are performed separately according to the size of the gastric remnant. The aim of our study was to determine whether these applications are compatible. Materials and Methods: Between September 2003 and April 2007, we performed Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy operations (14 patients) when the size of the gastric remnant was <10%, Braun enteroenterostomy (17 patients) when the size was between 10 and 20%, and Billroth II gastroenterostomy (14 patients) when the size was between 20 and 40% after subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer by a single surgeon at our hospital. We analyzed the results of each treatment. We evaluated the symptoms and endoscopic findings using questionnaires and hospital records. To evaluate nutritional states, we reviewed albumin and hemoglobin levels and body weight changes. Results: All operations were performed safely mortality was 0% and postoperative complications were 8.9%. On endoscopy, reflux gastritis was observed to occur in 7.63%, 18.65% and 40.0%, respectively, of patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y, Braun and Billroth II operations (P=0.13). Reflux esophagitis was observed in 1 patient in the Roux-en-Y group and 1 patient in the Braun group. Endoscopic gastrostasis was observed in 2 patients in the Roux-en-Y group, one of which was thought to cause reflux esophagitis. Patients in the Roux-en-Y group and Braun groups ingested a lower volume of food than did those in the Billroth II group (respectively, 7.1%, 0.0% and 28.7%) and complained less of postprandial discomforts (respectively, 14.3%, 23.5% and 57.1%) and reflux symptoms (respectively 0.0%, 11.8% and 42.9%). Conclusion: The application of Braun enteroenterostomy and Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy to the small gastric remnant may be effective for reducing reflux symptoms and abdominal discomfort after distal gastric resection. We recommend Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy when the size of the gastric remnant is <10%, and Braun anastomosis in the others. It will need to be determined which reconstructive procedure is better for many different conditions.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.229-237
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• 2014

Purpose: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) is a well-established procedure for the treatment of early gastric cancer. Several reconstruction methods can be adopted after LDG according to tumor characteristics and surgeon preference. This study aimed to compare the remnant gastric functions after different reconstructions. Materials and Methods: In total, 221 patients who underwent LDG between March 2005 and October 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were classified into four groups based on the reconstructive procedure: Billroth I (BI) anastomosis, Billroth II (BII) with Braun anastomosis, Roux-en-Y (RY) reconstruction, or uncut RY reconstruction. Patient demographics, surgical outcomes, and postoperative endoscopic findings were reviewed and compared among groups. Results: Endoscopic evaluations at $11.8{\pm}3.8$ months postoperatively showed less frequent gastritis and bile reflux in the remnant stomach in the RY group compared to the BI and BII groups. There was no significant difference in the gastric residue among the BI, BII, and RY groups. The incidence of gastritis and bile reflux in the uncut RY group was similar to that in the RY group, while residual gastric content in the uncut RY group was significantly smaller and less frequently observed than that in the RY group (5.8% versus 35.3%, P=0.010). Conclusions: RY and uncut RY reconstructions are equally superior to BI and BII with Braun anastomoses in terms of gastritis and bile reflux in the remnant stomach. Furthermore, uncut RY reconstruction showed improved stasis compared to conventional RY gastrojejunostomy. Uncut RY reconstruction can be a favorable reconstructive procedure after LDG.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2015

Purpose: Intracorporeal anastomosis is the most difficult procedure during pure single-incision distal gastrectomy (SIDG) that affects its generalization. We introduced unaided delta-shaped anastomosis (uDelta), a novel anastomosis technique, for gastroduodenostomy after pure SIDG, and compared the results with those of previously reported Roux-en-Y anastomosis (RY). Materials and Methods: Between March 2014 and March 2015, SIDG with D1+ lymph node dissection was performed for early gastric cancer through a 2.5-cm transumbilical incision without any additional port. uDelta was performed by the operator alone, without any intracorporeal assistance. Results: uDelta was performed on 11 patents, and uncut RY was performed on 5-patients without open or multiport conversion. R0 resection was performed in all cases. No significant differences were observed in mean age and body mass index between patients who underwent uDelta or RY. Mean operation times were $214.5{\pm}36.2$ minutes for uDelta and $240.8{\pm}65.9$ minutes for RY, which was not significantly different. Reconstruction time for uDelta was shorter than that for RY, with marginal statistical significance ($26.1{\pm}8.3$ minutes vs. $38.0{\pm}9.1$ minutes, P=0.05). There were no intraoperative transfusions, 30-day mortality, or anastomosis-related complications in either group. Average length of hospital stay was $8.2{\pm}1.9$ days in the uDelta group and $7.2{\pm}0.8$ days in the RY group (P=0.320). Conclusions: After carefully considering indications, uDelta can be a feasible and can be a reproducible reconstruction method after SIDG in early gastric cancer.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.255-266
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• 2017

Purpose: Although Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction after distal gastrectomy has several advantages, such as prevention of bile reflux into the remnant stomach, it is rarely used because of the technical difficulty. This prospective randomized clinical trial aimed to show the efficacy of a novel method of R-Y reconstruction involving the use of 2 circular staplers by comparing this novel method to Billroth-I (B-I) reconstruction. Materials and Methods: A total of 118 patients were randomly allocated into the R-Y (59 patients) and B-I reconstruction (59 patients) groups. R-Y anastomosis was performed using two circular staplers and no hand sewing. The primary end-point of this clinical trial was the reflux of bile into the remnant stomach evaluated using endoscopic and histological findings at 6 months after surgery. Results: No significant differences in clinicopathological findings were observed between the 2 groups. Although anastomosis time was significantly longer for the patients of the R-Y group (P<0.001), no difference was detected between the 2 groups in terms of the total surgery duration (P=0.112). Endoscopic findings showed a significant reduction of bile reflux in the remnant stomach in the R-Y group (P<0.001), and the histological findings showed that reflux gastritis was more significant in the B-I group than in the R-Y group (P=0.026). Conclusions: The results of this randomized controlled clinical trial showed that compared with B-I reconstruction, R-Y reconstruction using circular staplers is a safe and feasible procedure. This clinical trial study was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov (registration No. NCT01142271).

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.344-354
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• 2019

Purpose: No standard technique has been established for esophagojejunal anastomosis during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer owing to the technical difficulty and high complication rate of this procedure. This study was performed to compare the short-term outcomes of circular and linear stapling methods after LTG. Materials and Methods: A total of 106 patients treated between July 2010 and July 2018 were divided into 2 groups according to the following anastomosis procedures: hemi-double-stapling technique (HDST; circular stapling method; group C, n=77) or overlap method (linear stapling method; group L, n= 29). The clinicopathological features and postoperative outcomes, including complications, were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model to identify the independent risk factors for anastomotic complications. Results: The incidence of anastomotic complications was significantly higher in group C than in group L (28.0% vs. 6.9%, P=0.031). The incidence of anastomosis leakage did not differ between the groups (6.5% vs. 6.9%, P=1.000). However, anastomosis stricture occurred only in group C (13% vs. 0%, P=0.018). Multivariate analysis showed that the anastomosis type was significantly related to the risk of anastomotic complications (P=0.045). Conclusions: The overlap method was superior to the HDST with respect to anastomotic complications, especially anastomosis stricture.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the short-term surgical and long-term functional outcomes of Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 697 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for operable gastric cancer between January 2009 and December 2012. The patients were classified into three groups according to the reconstruction methods: Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y. The parameters evaluated included patient and tumor characteristics, operative details, and postoperative complications classified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Endoscopic findings of the remnant stomach were evaluated according to the residue, gastritis, bile (RGB) classification and the Los Angeles classification 1 year postoperatively. Results: Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y were performed in 165 (23.7%), 371 (53.2%), and 161 patients (23.1%), respectively. Operation time was significantly shorter ($173.4{\pm}44.7$ minute, P<0.001) as was time to first flatus ($2.8{\pm}0.8$ days, P=0.009), time to first soft diet was significantly faster ($4.3{\pm}1.0$ days, P<0.001), and postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter ($7.7{\pm}4.0$ days, P=0.004) in Billroth I in comparison to the other methods. Postoperative complications higher than Clavien-Dindo grade III occurred in 61 patients (8.8%) with no statistically significant differences between groups (P=0.797). Endoscopic findings confirmed that gastric residue, gastritis, bile reflux, and reflux esophagitis were significantly lower in Roux-en-Y (P<0.001) patients. Conclusions: Roux-en-Y reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for middle-third gastric cancer is beneficial in terms of long-term functional outcome, whereas Billroth I reconstruction for distal-third gastric cancer has a superior short-term surgical outcome and postoperative weight change.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2007

Purpose: Pledget is a PTFE felt that is usually used for suture reinforcement in cardiovascular surgery. In order to minimize the difficulty in intracorporeal continuous gastrointestinal suturing by reducing the number of tied knots, we have used pledget as substitute for a knot (pledget suturing). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients who underwent totally laparoscopic uncut Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy after distal gastrectomy in our institution were enrolled in this study, and the patients were divided into three groups according to the method of intracorporeal anastomosis. Basically, intracorporeal anastomosis was performed by several firings of linear staplers; however, the entry holes for the stapler at the jejunojejunostomy and the gastrojejunostomy were closed by pledget suturing in group A (8 patients), the entry hole for the stapler at jejunojejunostomy was closed by conventional suturing in group B (8 patients), and all of the entry holes for the stapler were closed by stapling in group C (16 patients). The surgical outcomes of each group were compared to each other. Results: The anastomotic time in group A was not longer than in group B, although there were more sutures used in group A, but it was longer than in group C. The number of stapler cartridges used in group A was the smallest among the three groups. In group B, there were two cases of a break of suture material during anastomosis, there were no such cases in group A. There was no complication related to anastomosis in all of the groups. Conclusion: Pledget was found to be useful for minimizing the difficulty in intracoproreal continuous gastrointestinal suturing and reducing the number of stapler cartilages used in intracorporeal anastomosis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.220-234
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• 2022

Purpose: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) has increased in recent years, and the optimal surgical strategy for AEG remains highly controversial. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction (PG-DT) for the treatment of patients with AEG. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with Siewert type II/III AEG between January 2013 and July 2018. Clinicopathological characteristics, survival, surgical outcomes, quality of life (QOL), and nutritional status were compared between the PG-DT and total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis (TG-RY) groups. Results: After propensity score matching, 33 patients in each group were analyzed. There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival. The surgical option was not an independent prognostic factor based on the multivariate analysis. In addition, no differences were found in terms of surgical complications. There were no significant differences in QOL assessed by the Visick grade, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, or endoscopic findings. Furthermore, the long-term nutritional advantage of the PG-DT group was significantly greater than that of the TG-RY group. Conclusions: PG-DT is a safe and effective procedure for patients with local Siewert type II/III AEG, regardless of the TNM stage.