• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2013

Purpose: Robotic surgery for gastric cancer is a promising alternative to laparoscopic surgery, but the data are limited. We aimed to evaluate whether gaining experience in robotic gastrectomy could improve surgical outcomes in the treatment of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and seven consecutive cases of patients with clinical stage I gastric cancer who underwent robotic surgery at the National Cancer Center of Korea between February 2009 and February 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical outcomes were analyzed and compared between the initial 100 and later 100 cases. Results: Seven patients required conversion to open surgery and were excluded from further analysis. The mean operating time for all patients was 248.8 minutes, and mean length of hospitalization was 8.0 days. Twenty patients developed postoperative complications. Thirteen were managed conservatively, while 6 had major complications requiring invasive procedures. One mortality occurred owing to myocardial infarction. Operating time was significantly shorter in the latter 100 cases than in the initial 100 cases (269.9 versus 233.5 minutes, P<0.001). The number of retrieved lymph nodes was significantly greater in the latter cases (35.9 versus 39.9, P=0.032). The hospital stay of patients with complications was significantly longer in the initial cases than in the latter cases (16 versus 7 days, P=0.005). Conclusions: Increased experience with the robotic procedure for gastric cancer was associated with improved outcomes, especially in operating time, lymph node retrieval, and shortened hospital stay of complicated patients. Further development of surgical techniques and technology might enhance the role of robotic surgery for gastric cancer.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.132-138
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• 2007

Purpose: In Korea, the number of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomies for early gastric cancer patients has been on the increase. Although minimally invasive surgery is more beneficial, no reported case of a total laparoscopic gastrectomy has been reported because of difficulty with intracorporeal anastomosis. This study attempts, through our experience, to determine the safety and feasibility of a total laparoscopic gastrectomy with various types of intracorporeal anastomosis using laparoscopic linears stapler in treating early gastric carcinomas. Materials and Methods: We investigated the surgical results and clinicopatholgical characteristics of 81 patients that underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at our department between June 2004 and May 2007. The intracorporeal anastomoses were performed by using laparoscopic linear staplers. Results: The mean operative time was 287 minutes, the mean anastomotic time was 40 minutes, and the mean number of laparoscopic linear staplers used for an operation was 7.5. The mean time to the first flatus, the first food intake, and discharge from hospital was 2.9, 3.6, and 10.3 days respectively. There were 11 cases of postoperative complications, but no case of postoperative mortality or conversion to an open procedure. In 75 patients with an adenocarcinoma, the mean number of lymph nodes harvested was 38.1 and the stage distribution was as follows: stage I, 72 patients; stage II, 2 patients; stage IV, 1 patient. During the mean follow-up period of 14 months, 5 patients died of other causes and there were no cases of cancer recurrence. Conclusion: A total laparoscopic gastrectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis by using a laparoscopic linear stapler was found to be safe and feasible. We were able to obtain acceptable surgical outcomes in terms of minimal invasiveness.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.230-234
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• 2004

Purpose: The use of laparoscopic surgery for gastric disease has been gaining popularity. However, there has been the controversy over the indications and the standard techniques of laparoscopic gastric surgery in the early gastric cancer (EGC). The purposes of this study were to compare the clinical outcomes among a hand-assisted laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (HALDG), a laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG), and an open distal gastrectomy (ODG) and to discuss the role of these procedures in the treatment of EGC. Materials and Methods: Between August 2001 and July 2004, laparoscopic surgery was performed in our institution on 25 patients, LADG (n=7) and HALDG (n=18) with EGC. Analysis was performed on clinical data such as the operative time, the hospital stay, the start of oral intake, and the number of harvested lymph nodes. Patients were categorized into early and late groups by using the date of surgery and were also grouped by surgical procedure. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for EGC, we compared the clinical data with those for ODGs performed during the same period. Results: There was no difference in the number of harvested lymph nodes between the laparoscopic group and the open group, but the operation time in the laparoscopic group was longer than that in the open group (P<0.05). Also, no significant differences in other clinical data were found between the two groups. Comparing the early and the late periods of the series, the number of harvested lymph nodes for a HALDS increased from $22.31\pm4.29\;to\;29.40\pm3.21$ (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our early experience with laparoscopic gastric surgery shows that a wide range of possibilities exist for applying laparoscopic gastric surgery to selected gastric cancer patients. However, the surgical procedure should be standardized, and the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery, in comparison to those of open surgery, need to be confirmed based on a large randomized study. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2004;4:230-234)

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2007

Purpose: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is gaining wider acceptance for the treatment of early gastric cancer. However, firm evidence supporting the long-term outcome after LADG for gastric cancer is unknown. This study compared long-term quality of life after LADG versus an open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for early gastric cancer. Methods: This study included 29 patients who underwent LADG and 57 patients who underwent ODG for the treatment of stage I gastric cancer. Quality of life was evaluated based on the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-STO22 one year after surgery. All patients underwent a Billroth II gastrectomy for stage I gastric cancer between January 2003 and December 2004. Results: A total of 86 (58%) out of 154 patients responded to the questionnaire. Demographic features showed no difference between the two groups of patients for age, sex, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis except for tumor size and the number of retrieved lymph nodes. The mean score for global health status was not statistically different (LADG, $60.3{\pm}20.4$ vs ODG, $57{\pm}20.6$; P=0.413). The total score of 21 items related to stomach cancer (EORTC QLQ-STO22) also was not statistically different (LADG, $68.9{\pm}64.9$ vs ODG, $94.5{\pm}97.3$; P=0.340). Conclusion: Based on the results of the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C 30 (version 3.0) and EORTC. QLQ-STO22, LADG does not seem to have any long-term benefit over ODG on 'quality of life'.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

Purpose: In Korea, the number of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomies for early gastric cancer patients has been increasing lately. Although minimally invasive surgery is more beneficial, no reported case of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy has been reported because of difficulty with intracorporeal anastomosis. This study attempts, through our experiences, to determine the feasibility of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using an intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy in treating early gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We investigated surgical results and clinicopatholgic characteristics of eight(8) patients with an early gastric carcinoma who underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between June 2004 and September 2004. The intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy was performed with a delta-shaped ananstomosis by using only laparoscopic linear staplers (Endocutter 45mm; Ethicon Endosurgery, OH, USA). Results: The operative time was $369.4\pm62.5$ minutes (range $275\∼465$ minutes), and the anastomotic time was 45.1\pm14.4$ minutes (range $32\∼70$ minutes). The anastomotic time was shortened as surgical experience was gained. The number of laparoscopic linear staplers for an operation was $7.1\pm0.6$. The number of lymph nodes harvested was $31.9\pm13.1$. There was 1 case of transfusion and no case of conversion to an open procedure. The time to the first flatus was 2.8$\pm$0.5 days, and the time to the first food intake was $4.1\pm0.8$ days. There were no early postoperative complications, and the postoperative hospital stay was $10.0\pm3.9$ days. Conclusion: A totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using an intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy with a delta-shaped anastomosis is technically feasible and can maximize the benefit of laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer.