Souya Nunobe

Symptom evaluation of long-term postoperative outcomes after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer

BackgroundSince the early 1990s, pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) has been used in the treatment of patients with early gastric cancer in order to reduce postprandial symptoms. To date, there have been few reports of long-term symptom evaluation following this procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term postoperative outcomes after PPG.MethodsThree hundred and ninety-seven patients with early gastric cancer were enrolled in this study: 194 patients who underwent PPG and 203 who underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction (DGBI). We compared the symptoms for the two groups in a questionnaire on postoperative functional outcomes, endoscopy findings and the appearance of gallstones after surgery.ResultsThe incidence of symptoms suggesting early dumping syndrome was significantly lower in the PPG group compared with the DGBI group (P < 0.05). The incidences of disturbed bowel habit and frequent flatus were significantly lower in the PPG than in the DGBI group. The average relative body weight (actual BW/ BW immediately before the surgery) was significantly better in the PPG than in the DGBI group (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe long-term results show that PPG has clear advantages over DGBI in terms of postoperative symptoms and functional outcomes. These results imply that PPG should be the recommended procedure for early gastric cancers located in the middle third of the stomach.

Billroth 1 versus Roux-en-Y reconstructions: a quality-of-life survey at 5 years.

BackgroundIn the majority of gastric surgical units across Japan, Billroth 1 is the preferred method of anastomosis following subtotal distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, across Europe and North America, reconstruction using a Roux-en-Y anastomosis is more common. There is a lack of comparative studies of the two methods focusing on long-term outcome. This study evaluated patient outcome, in terms of adverse gastrointestinal complaints and quality of life, at 5 years following surgery.MethodsA total of 652 patients had a subtotal distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer between January 1993 and December 1999. We studied 229 patients with reconstruction by the Billroth 1 procedure and 214 patients with the Roux-en-Y procedure. All patients had an abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy as part of their follow-up. Quality of life was assessed by questionnaire.ResultsWe had an 87% response rate from the questionnaire assessment. The results demonstrated that patients were less likely to experience symptoms of either early or late dumping after Roux-en-Y anastomosis than after Billroth 1. In addition, there were significantly fewer patients with gastritis on endoscopy in the Roux-en-Y group. There was no significant difference in the average relative body weight between the groups. However, patients were more likely to develop gallstones after a Roux-en-Y than after a Billroth 1 reconstruction.ConclusionThe results from this study show that, at 5 years, both symptomatically and functionally, Roux-en-Y reconstruction was superior to the Billroth I method after subtotal distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, the overall outcome in both groups was good, with patient satisfaction scores of around 75% in each group.

Successful application of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for a lateral-spreading mucosal gastric cancer

In the current era of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer, which carries a negligible risk of lymph node metastasis, local resection of the stomach remains an option for these lesions. This is particularly so for a large intramucosal lesion or a lesion with a strong ulcer scar, for which ESD becomes a difficult option. Here, we describe a case of lateral-spreading intramucosal gastric cancer of 6-cm diameter located at the fornix of the stomach, which was successfully treated by laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) because of the expected risk of complications during ESD. In the LECS procedure, the resection margin was appropriately determined by the endoscopic evaluation in detail and by the ESD technique. If early gastric cancer fits the criteria for endoscopic resection but would present difficulty if performing ESD, this is a good indication for the LECS procedure.

Hand-sewn versus mechanical esophagogastric anastomosis after esophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the risks and benefits of using a circular stapler (CS) compared with the hand-sewn (HS) method for the esophagogastric anastomosis after esophageal resection. BACKGROUND DATA Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicated that the use of a CS might prevent anastomotic leakage, whereas it was more likely to lead to anastomotic strictures. The relative efficacy of this intervention in comparison with the HS method has not been conclusively determined. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of all RCTs that compared HS versus mechanical anastomosis using a CS was conducted regarding the leakage, strictures, operative time, and mortality. The study protocol was established a priori according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration. RESULTS Twelve RCTs were included with a total of 1407 patients. The use of a CS, compared with the HS method, (1) led to no significant difference in the incidence of anastomotic leakage [risk ratio (RR): 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-1.59] or postoperative mortality (RR: 1.64, 95% CI: 0.95-2.83), (2) increased the incidence of anastomotic strictures (RR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.16-2.42), and (3) reduced the length of the operation time (mean: -15.3 minutes, range: -28.1 to -2.39). For these results, a subgroup analysis and a meta-regression analysis yielded no significant differences for the anastomotic site, diameter of the CS, layer, or configuration. CONCLUSION The use of a CS contributed to reducing the length of the operation, but was associated with an increased risk of anastomotic strictures. Both the CS and the HS method are viable alternatives in the reconstruction after esophagectomy.

Three-Step Esophagojejunal Anastomosis with Atraumatic Anvil Insertion Technique After Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy

BackgroundEsophagojejunostomy during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LATG) using a circular stapler is a difficult procedure for which there remains no widely accepted standard technique. Based upon our experience with esophagogastrostomy during laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy, we have applied a modified lift-up method to LATG.Material and methodsEsophagojejunostomy using a modified lift-up method was performed during LATG in 41 patients with early gastric cancer, from July 2005 to June 2010. The lift-up technique comprises three steps, which together reduce the difficulty of anvil insertion by lifting up the nasogastric tube connected to the anvil head.ResultsDuring the early stages of the present study, some patients who underwent LATG with the modified lift-up method developed anastomotic leakage, with stenosis occurring in two cases (4.9%) and three cases (7.3%), respectively. All patients who developed complications showed improvement following conservative treatment with no surgical procedure. The anastomotic leaks occurred during the later periods of the study. There was no mortality in the present study.ConclusionsOur modified lift-up technique facilitates circular-stapled esophagojejunostomy in LATG and could provide a more feasible and safe option for an established procedure, especially for preventing anastomotic leak.

Development and external validation of a nomogram for overall survival after curative resection in serosa-negative, locally advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Few nomograms can predict overall survival (OS) after curative resection of advanced gastric cancer (AGC), and these nomograms were developed using data from only a few large centers over a long time period. The aim of this study was to develop and externally validate an elaborative nomogram that predicts 5-year OS after curative resection for serosa-negative, locally AGC using a large amount of data from multiple centers in Japan over a short time period (2001-2003). PATIENTS AND METHODS Of 39 859 patients who underwent surgery for gastric cancer between 2001 and 2003 at multiple centers in Japan, we retrospectively analyzed 5196 patients with serosa-negative AGC who underwent Resection A according to the 13th Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma. The data of 3085 patients who underwent surgery from 2001 to 2002 were used as a training set for the construction of a nomogram and Web software. The data of 2111 patients who underwent surgery in 2003 were used as an external validation set. RESULTS Age at operation, gender, tumor size and location, macroscopic type, histological type, depth of invasion, number of positive and examined lymph nodes, and lymphovascular invasion, but not the extent of lymphadenectomy, were associated with OS. Discrimination of the developed nomogram was superior to that of the TNM classification (concordance indices of 0.68 versus 0.61; P < 0.001). Moreover, calibration was accurate. CONCLUSIONS We have developed and externally validated an elaborative nomogram that predicts the 5-year OS of postoperative serosa-negative AGC. This nomogram would be helpful in the assessment of individual risks and in the consideration of additional therapy in clinical practice, and we have created freely available Web software to more easily and quickly predict OS and to draw a survival curve for these purposes.

Function-Preserving Gastrectomy for Early Gastric Cancer

The number of early gastric cancer (EGC) cases has been increasing because of improved diagnostic procedures. Applications of function-preserving gastric cancer surgery may therefore also be increasing because of its low incidence of lymph node metastasis, excellent survival rates, and the possibility of less-invasive procedures such as laparoscopic gastrectomy being used in combination. Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) with radical lymph node dissection is one such function-preserving procedure that has been applied for EGC, with the indications, limitations, and survival benefits of PPG already reported in several retrospective studies. Laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy has also been applied for EGC of the upper third of the stomach, although this procedure can be associated with the 2 major problems of reflux esophagitis and carcinoma arising in the gastric stump. In the patient with EGC in the upper third of the stomach, laparoscopy-assisted subtotal gastrectomy with a preserved very small stomach may provide a better quality of life for the patients and fewer postoperative complications. Finally, the laparoscopy endoscopy cooperative surgery procedure combines endoscopic submucosal dissection with laparoscopic gastric wall resection, which prevents excessive resection and deformation of the stomach after surgery and was recently applied for EGC cases without possibility of lymph node metastasis. Function-preserving laparoscopic gastrectomy is recommended for the treatment of EGC if the indication followed by accurate diagnosis is strictly confirmed. Preservation of remnant stomach sometimes causes severe postoperative dysfunctions such as delayed gastric retention in PPG, esophageal reflux in PG, and gastric stump carcinoma in the remnant stomach. Moreover, these techniques present technical difficulties to the surgeon. Although many retrospective studies showed the functional benefit or oncological safety of function-preserving gastrectomy, further prospective studies using large case series are necessary.

Lymphadenectomy around the left renal vein in Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction

The extent of lymphadenectomy in patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate lymph node involvement around the left renal vein.

Laparoscopic esophagogastric circular stapled anastomosis: a modified technique to protect the esophagus.

Laparoscopic surgery is increasingly being applied to gastric cancer surgery, including proximal gastrectomy for the resection of cancer located in the upper gastric body. Despite the ease of use of stapling devices for end-to-end anastomosis, esophagogastric anastomosis is complicated by the narrow laparoscopic space, making the placement of an esophageal purse-string suture and anvil insertion into the fragile and contracted esophagus difficult. The aim of this study was to employ a novel esophagogastric anastomosis technique for laparoscopic surgery which may avoid esophageal breakdown. Eleven patients with early gastric cancer within the upper gastric body underwent laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy. The anvil of the stapler was introduced into the esophagus through a small gastrostomy, before transection of the esophagus. The esophageal-to-anterior gastric wall anastomosis was performed using a double-stapling technique, without the need to apply a purse-string suture. The mean operation time was 237 ± 15 min and estimated blood loss was 39 ± 21 ml. The postoperative course was uneventful in all 11 patients, with no anastomotic leakage observed. Two patients needed endoscopic balloon dilation of an anastomotic stricture 24 to 28 days postoperatively. This modified procedure of laparoscopic esophagogastric anastomosis after proximal gastrectomy for the resection of cancer is a simple, rapid, and atraumatic technique which reduces the risk of anastomotic insufficiency.

Laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery.

Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) is a newly developed concept for tumor dissection of the gastrointestinal tract that was first investigated for local resection of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The first reported version of LECS for GIST has been named ‘classical LECS’ to distinguish it from other modified LECS procedures, such as inverted LECS, a combination of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches to neoplasia with a non‐exposure technique (CLEAN‐NET), and non‐exposed endoscopic wall‐inversion surgery (NEWS). These modified LECS procedures were developed for dissection of malignant tumors which may seed tumor cells into the abdominal cavity. While these LECS‐related procedures might prevent tumor seeding, their application is limited by several factors, such as tumor size, location and technical difficulty. Currently, classical LECS is a safe and useful procedure for gastric submucosal tumors without mucosal defects, independent of tumor location, such as proximity to the esophagogastric junction or pyloric ring. For future applications of LECS‐related procedures for other malignant diseases with mucosal lesions such as GIST with mucosal defects and gastric cancer, some improvements in the techniques are needed.