• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2008

Purpose: Many recent studies have reported on the feasibility and usefulness of laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for treating early gastric cancer. On the other hand, there has been few reports about laparoscopy assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) because upper located gastric cancer is relatively rare and the surgical technique is more difficult than that for LADG, We now present our procedure and results of performing LATG for the gastric cancer located in the upper or middle portion of the stomach. Materials and Methods: From Jan 2005 to Sep 2007, 96 patients underwent LATG by four surgeons at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among them, 48 consecutive patients who were operated on by asingle surgeon were analyzed with respect to the clinicopathological features, the surgical results and the postoperative courses with using the prospectively collected laparoscopy surgery data. Results: There was no conversion to open surgery during LATG. For all the reconstructions, Roux-en Y esophago-jejunostomy and D1+beta lymphadenectomy were the standard procedures. The mean operation time was $212{\pm}67$ minutes. The mean total number of retrieved lymph nodes was $28.9{\pm}10.54$ (range: $12{\sim}64$) and all the patients had a clear proximal resection margin in their final pathologic reports. The mean time to passing gas, first oral feeding and discharge from the hospital was 2.98, 3.67 and 7.08 days, respectively. There were 5 surgical complications and 2 non-surgical complications for 5 (10.4%) patients, and there was no mortality. None of the patients needed operation because of complications and they recovered with conservative treatments. The mean operation time remained constant after 20 cases and so a learning curve was present. The morbidity rate was not different between the two periods, but the postoperative course was significantly better after the learning curve. Analysis of the factors contributing to the postoperative morbidity, with using logistic regression analysis, showed that the 8MI is the only contributing factor forpostoperative complications (P=0.029, HR=2.513, 95% CI=1.097-5.755). Conclusions: LATG with regional lymph node dissection for upper and middle early gastric cancer is considered to be a safe, feasible method that showed an excellent postoperative course and acceptable morbidity. BMI should be considered in the patient selection at the beginning period because of the impact of the BMI on the postoperative morbidity.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.4 s.20
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• pp.246-251
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• 2005

Purpose: Benign anastomotic stricture after an esophagojejunostomy using EEA stapler following a radical total gastrectomy is one of the most serious complications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence risk factors, and treatment associated with benign stricture. Materials and Methods: From March 1998 to February 2001, 436 patients underwent an esophagojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis using an EEA stapler followed by an endoscopy. Thirty three of the 436 patients(5.5%) developed an anastomotic stricture; included 24 of the 33 patients had a benign stricture. Nine patients with a malignant stricture were excluded. Results: The median age of the 436 patients was 57 years $(23{\sim}85\;years)$. Two hundred ninety two patients were male, and 144 patients were female. The median time to diagnosing the stricture was 1.5 months $(0.5{\sim}6months)$. There was no statistical significance in any of the risk factors, including the diameter of the stapling device, the status of adjuvant treatment, the status of reflux esophagitis, and a clinical history of diabetes and hypertension. The strictured patients were treated with balloon dilatation, one to three times, with symptom relief. Conclusion: There were no statistically significant risk factors. However, further study of the vascularity of anastomoses and benign strictures needs to be considered. In the anastomotic strictured patients endoscopic balloon dilatation appeared to be the first line of treatment.