Gui Ae Jeong

Long-Term Efficacy of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Compared with Surgery for Early Gastric Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background/Aims This study aimed to compare the outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and gastrectomy based on the two sets of indications for ESD, namely guideline criteria (GC) and expanded criteria (EC). Methods Between January 2004 and July 2007, 213 early gastric cancer (EGC) patients were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, 142 underwent ESD, and 71 underwent gastrectomy. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of these patients according to the criteria. Results The complication rates in the ESD and gastrectomy groups were 8.5% and 28.2%, respectively. The duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the ESD group than the gastrectomy group according to the GC and EC (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). There was no recurrence in the ESD and gastrectomy groups according to the GC, and the recurrence rates in the ESD and gastrectomy groups were 4.7% and 0.0% according to the EC, respectively (p=0.279). The occurrence rates of metachronous cancer in the ESD and gastrectomy groups were 5.7% and 5.0% according to the GC (p=1.000) and 7.5% and 0.0% according to the EC (p=0.055), respectively. Conclusions Based on safety, duration of hospital stay, and long-term outcomes, ESD may be an effective and safe first-line treatment for EGC according to the EC and GC.

Transvaginal Endoscopic Appendectomy

Since Kalloo and colleagues first reported the feasibility and safety of a peroral transgastric approach in the porcine model in 2004, various groups have reported more complex natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures, such as the cholecystectomy, splenectomy and liver biopsy, in the porcine model. Natural orifice access to the abdominal cavity, such as transgastric, transvesical, transcolonic, and transvaginal, has been described. Although a novel, minimally invasive approach to the abdominal cavity is a peroral endoscopic transgastric approach, there are still some challenging issues, such as the risk of infection and leakage, and the method of gastric closure. Hybrid-NOTES is an ideal first step in humans. Human hybrid transvaginal access has been used for years by many surgeons for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Here, we report a transvaginal flexible endoscopic appendectomy, with a 5-mm umbilical port using ultrasonic scissors in a 74-year-old woman with acute appendicitis.

Prospective Multicenter Feasibility Study of Laparoscopic Sentinel Basin Dissection for Organ Preserving Surgery in Gastric Cancer: Quality Control Study for Surgical Standardization Prior to Phase III Trial.

AbstractThe clinical application of sentinel node biopsies in early gastric cancer is still controversial even though it appears promising. This study was conducted as a prerequisite quality control for surgical standardization of laparoscopic sentinel basin dissection (SBD) prior to the initiation of a phase III trial.Laparoscopic SBD was performed in patients with preoperative stage T1-2N0 and tumor size <4 cm in diameter. Intraoperative endoscopic submucosal injection of a standardized dual tracer was administered. All retrieved sentinel basin nodes (SBN) were investigated with intraoperative frozen hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. A strict checklist consisting of 7 essential steps was followed during laparoscopic SBD as the quality control study for a phase III trial. Completion of all essential steps in the checklist for 10 cases was used to define a qualified institution.Seven institutions participated and 112 patients were enrolled in this study. However, 4 patients were excluded owing to screening failure. The mean number of cases required for institutional qualification was 15 cases (range, 13–20 cases). Sentinel basins (SB) were detected and dissected in 100 of the 108 patients (92.6%); the median number of SB and SBN was 2 and 7, respectively. Lymph node metastases were detected in 10 patients by postoperative permanent H&E staining and they were detected by SBD in all 10 patients. Frozen results of SBN were compatible with permanent staining reports.Laparoscopic SBD is feasible and demonstrated improved sensitivity in detecting metastatic lymph nodes compared to the previous study. A future phase III randomized trial comparing laparoscopic SBD with organ-preserving gastrectomy and laparoscopic standard gastrectomy seems promising for qualified institutions.

Long-Term Outcomes of Proximal Gastrectomy versus Total Gastrectomy for Upper-Third Gastric Cancer.

Purpose There are two surgical procedures for proximal early gastric cancer (EGC): total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG). This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of PG with those of TG. Materials and Methods Between January 2001 and December 2008, 170 patients were diagnosed with proximal EGC at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, of which 64 patients underwent PG and 106 underwent TG. Clinicopathologic features, postoperative complications, blood chemistry data, changes in body weight, and oncological outcomes were analyzed and retrospectively compared between both groups. Results Tumor size was smaller and the number of retrieved lymph nodes was lower in the PG group. The postoperative complication rate was 10.9% in the TG group and 16.9% in the PG group. The incidence of Los Angeles grade C and D reflux esophagitis was significantly higher in the TG group. Hemoglobin level was higher and body weight loss was greater in the TG group at 2, 3, and 5 years postoperatively. The albumin levels at 3 and 5 years were lower in the TG group. There was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rates between the two groups (P=0.789). Conclusions Postoperative complications and oncologic outcomes were observed to be similar between the two groups. The PG group showed better laboratory data and weight loss than did the TG group. Moreover, severe reflux esophagitis occurred less frequently in the PG group than in the TG group. PG can be considered as an effective surgical treatment for proximal EGC.

Long-term results of oncoplastic breast surgery with latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction: a pilot study of the objective cosmetic results and patient reported outcome

Purpose The goal of oncoplastic breast surgery is to restore the appearance of the breast and improve patient satisfaction. Thus, the assessment of cosmetic results and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using appropriately constructed and validated instruments is essential. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term objective cosmetic results and corresponding PROs after oncoplastic breast surgery. Methods Cosmetic results were assessed by the patients, a medical panel, and a computer program (BCCT.core). PROs were assessed using BREAST-Q, a questionnaire that measures the perception of patients having breast surgery. The cosmetic results and PROs were analyzed in patients who underwent quadrantectomy and partial breast reconstruction utilizing the latissimus dorsi flap. Results The mean duration of the follow-up period was 91.6 months (range, 33.3–171.0 months), and mean age of the patients was 51 years old (range, 33–72 years). The mean tumor size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.9–5.5 cm). There was fair agreement between the medical panel and BCCT.core score (K = 0.32, P < 0.001), and a statistically significant correlation between the BCCT.core score and medical panel cosmetic results was identified (r = 0.606, P < 0.001). A better BCCT.core result was related to a higher PRO of each BREAST-Q domain—satisfaction with breasts (R2 = 0.070, P = 0.039), satisfaction with outcome (R2 = 0.087, P = 0.021), psychosocial well-being (R2 = 0.085, P = 0.023), sexual well-being (R2 = 0.082, P = 0.029), and satisfaction with information (R2 = 0.064, P = 0.049). Conclusion Our long-term results of oncoplastic surgery achieved a high level of patient satisfaction with good cosmetic results. The medical panel and BCCT.core results correlated well with the PROs of the patients using valid, reliable, and procedure-specific measures.

Changes in Fat Intake, Body Fat Composition and Intra-Abdominal Fat after Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is considered to be the effective treatment alternative conducted over the lifetime for reducing weight in patients with clinically morbid obesity. For many patients, the benefits of weight loss, including decreases in blood glucose, lipids, and blood pressure as well as increase in mobility, will outweigh the risks of surgical complications. But patients undergoing bariatric surgery have the least risk for long-term diet-related complications as reported in several studies. Thus, with an increasing number of severely obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery, the multidisciplinary healthcare system will need to be managed continuously. Many nutrition support specialists will need to become familiar with the metabolic consequences for the frequent monitoring of nutrition status of the patients. South Korea has a very short history with bariatric surgery, and relatively few studies have been conducted on bariatric surgery. Therefore, the objective of this report was to compare the nutrient intake, weight loss, body fat composition, and visceral fat before and after the bariatric surgery.

Which Factors Are Important for Successful Sentinel Node Navigation Surgery in Gastric Cancer Patients? Analysis from the SENORITA Prospective Multicenter Feasibility Quality Control Trial

Background We investigated the results of quality control study prior to phase III trial of sentinel lymph node navigation surgery (SNNS). Methods Data were reviewed from 108 patients enrolled in the feasibility study of laparoscopic sentinel basin dissection (SBD) in gastric cancer. Seven steps contain tracer injection at submucosa (step 1) and at four sites (step 2) by intraoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), leakage of tracer (step 3), injection within 3 minutes (step 4), identification of at least one sentinel basin (SB) (step 5), evaluation of sentinel basin nodes (SBNs) by frozen biopsy (step 6), and identification of at least five SBNs at back table and frozen sections (step 7). Results Failure in step 7 (n = 23) was the most common followed by step 3 (n = 15) and step 6 (n = 13). We did not find any differences of clinicopathological factors between success and failure group in steps 1~6. In step 7, body mass index (BMI) was only the significant factor. The success rate was 97.1% in patients with BMI  <  23 kg/m2 and 80.3% in those with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (P = 0.028). Conclusions Lower BMI group showed higher success rate in step 7. Surgeons doing SNNS should be cautious when evaluating sufficient number of SBN in obese patients.

Safety of Laparoscopic Sentinel Basin Dissection in Patients with Gastric Cancer: an Analysis from the SENORITA Prospective Multicenter Quality Control Trial

Purpose We investigated complications after laparoscopic sentinel basin dissection (SBD) for patients with gastric cancer who were enrolled in a quality control study, prior to the phase III trial of sentinel lymph node navigation surgery (SNNS). Materials and Methods We analyzed prospective data from a Korean multicenter prerequisite quality control trial of laparoscopic SBD for gastric cancer and assessed procedure-related and surgical complications. All complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo Classification (CDC) system and were compared with the results of the previously published SNNS trial. Results Among the 108 eligible patients who were enrolled in the quality control trial, 8 (7.4%) experienced complications during the early postoperative period. One patient with gastric resection-related duodenal stump leakage recovered after percutaneous drainage (grade IIIa in CDC). The other postoperative complications were mild and patients recovered with supportive care. No complications were directly related to the laparoscopic SBD procedure or tracer usage, and there were no mortalities. The laparoscopic SBD complication rates and patterns that were observed in this study were comparable to those of a previously reported trial. Conclusions The results of our prospective, multicenter quality control trial demonstrate that laparoscopic SBD is a safe procedure during SNNS for gastric cancer.

Assessment of laparoscopic stomach preserving surgery with sentinel basin dissection compared with standard gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy in early gastric cancer: A study protocol of a multicenter randomized phase III clinical trial (SENORITA trial).

TPS179 Background: Along with marked increase in early gastric cancer (EGC) in Eastern countries, there has been an effort to adopt sentinel node concept in EGC to reduce immediate postoperative complications and preserve gastric function. Based on the promising results from the previous quality control study prior to phase III trial, this prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial aimed to elucidate the oncologic safety of laparoscopic stomach-preserving surgery with sentinel basin dissection (SBD) compared to standard laparoscopic gastrectomy. Methods: This trial is an investigator-initiated, open-label, multicenter randomized controlled phase III trial with non-inferiority design. Patients diagnosed with a single lesion of clinical stage T1N0M0 gastric adenocarcinoma with a diameter of 3cm or less are eligible for the present study. A total of 580 patients (290 per each group) will be randomized to either laparoscopic stomach-preserving surgery with SBD or standard surgery. The primary end-poi...