The nutritional advantages of proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Total gastrectomy has generally been performed for the treatment of early gastric cancers involving the upper third of the stomach. However, proximal gastrectomy has also been used for the treatment of cardial early gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: To compare the nutritional parameters after proximal gastrectomy with the parameters after total gastrectomy, and to also determine the advantages of the postoperative nutritional states, a retrospective analysis was made to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with early gastric cancer who underwent proximal gastrectomy with those undergoing total gastrectomy. Forty-nine patients were studied for one year after surgery; 9 underwent proximal gastrectomy while 40 had a total gastrectomy. RESULTS: Proximal gastrectomy allowed the patient to better maintain both their nutritional parameters and body weight. CONCLUSIONS: Proximal gastrectomy was thus found to be a beneficial modality for early gastric cancer patients regarding terms of the postoperative nutritional status, in comparison to total gastrectomy.     

Improved quality of life in patients with gastric cancer after esophagogastrostomy reconstruction

AIM： To compare postoperative quality of life （QOL） in patients with gastric cancer treated by esophagogastrostomy reconstruction after proximal gastrectomy. METHODS： QOL assessments that included functional outcomes （a 24-item survey about treatment- specific symptoms） and health perception （Spitzer QOL Index） were performed in 149 patients with gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach, who had received proximal gastrectomy with additional esophagogastrostomy. RESULTS： Fifty-four patients underwent reconstruction by esophagogastric anterior wall end-to-side anastomosis combined with pyloroplasty （EA group）; 45 patients had reconstruction by esophagogastric posterior wall end-to-side anastomosis （EP group）; and 50 patients had reconstruction by esophagogastric end-to-end anastomosis （EE group）. The EA group showed the best postoperative QOL, such as recovery of body weight, less discomfort after meals, and less heart burn or belching at 6 and 24 mo postoperatively. However, the survival rates, surgical results and Spitzer QOL index were similar among the three groups. CONCLUSION： Postoperative QOL was better in the EA than EP or EE group. To improve QOL after proximal gastrectomy for upper third gastric cancer, the EA procedure using a stapler is safe and feasible for esophagogastrostomy.     

Gastric remnant cancer compared with primary proximal gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, detections of early-stage gastric remnant cancer and small proximal gastric cancer are increasing. The aim of this study was to compare pathologic and prognostic data of gastric remnant cancer with those of primary proximal gastric cancer including upper gastric cancer based on a recent 15-year experience at a single institute in Japan. METHODOLOGY: Among 698 patients who underwent gastrectomy for cancer between 1984 and 1998, 15 (2.1%) were patients with gastric remnant cancer. During the same period, 139 patients underwent primary gastrectomy for proximal gastric cancer which included 71 with upper gastric cancer confined to the upper one-third of the stomach. Clinicopathologic findings of gastric remnant cancer were compared with those of proximal gastric cancer. RESULTS: Of 15 gastric remnant cancers, 8 (53%) were stage I tumors. Although gastric remnant cancer and proximal gastric cancer was not different in several clinicopathologic factors, gastric remnant cancer and upper gastric cancer confined to the upper one-third of the stomach was different with regard to the frequency of tumor size > or = 4 cm (60% vs. 32%, p < 0.05), poorly differentiated type (67% vs. 38%, p < 0.05), serosal invasion (40% vs. 11%, p < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (47% vs. 20%, p < 0.05), stage III or IV disease (47% vs. 10%, p < 0.01), and noncurative gastrectomy (20% vs. 1%, p < 0.01). The 5-year survival rate of gastric remnant cancer (69%) was higher than that of proximal gastric cancer (57%) and lower than that of upper gastric cancer (81%), although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In our recent series, a half of gastric remnant cancers are stage I tumors. Although gastric remnant cancers are similar to proximal gastric cancers, they are more advanced and their surgical results are less satisfactory when compared with upper gastric cancers confined to the upper one-third of the stomach.     

Higher incidence of gastric remnant cancer after proximal than distal gastrectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Proximal gastrectomy has been widely accepted as a standard operation for early stage gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach. Therefore, cancer of the distal gastric remnant is now increasing. The aims of this study were to clarify and compare the incidences of gastric remnant cancer after proximal and distal gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY: Data on a consecutive series of 809 cases of gastrectomy performed for early gastric cancer from 1991 to 2003 in Shikoku Cancer Center were analyzed retrospectively with respect to the incidence of gastric remnant cancer. RESULTS: We performed distal gastrectomy in 624 patients and proximal gastrectomy in 47 patients during the study period. After those operations, the gastric remnants of 457 cases and 33 cases, respectively, were surveyed periodically by endoscopic examination at our hospital. Among those surveyed cases, 10 patients (2.2%) and 3 patients (9.1%) were diagnosed as having gastric remnant cancer, respectively. The gastric remnant cancer-free survival after proximal gastrectomy was significantly lower than that after distal gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the higher incidence of gastric remnant cancer after proximal gastrectomy, it is more important to survey the gastric remnant after proximal gastrectomy periodically by postoperative endoscopic examination.     

Evaluation of reconstruction after proximal gastrectomy: prospective comparative study of jejunal interposition and jejunal pouch interposition

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To prevent various distresses after proximal gastrectomy, reconstruction by interposed jejunal pouch has been advocated as an organ-preserving surgical strategy to ensure favorable quality of life for the patients. METHODOLOGY: Proximal gastrectomy was performed in 9 patients with gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach. Four patients were randomly selected for reconstruction by jejunal pouch interposition (JPI group), while 5 had reconstruction by jejunal interposition (JI group). The patients who underwent JPI and JI were followed up to evaluate resumption of normal diet, change in body weight, and clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The JPI group showed a significant dietary advantage. Three months after surgery, JPI patients could eat more than 80% of the volume of their preoperative meals, whereas JI patients ate less than 50%. The percentage of postoperative body weight loss was higher in the JI group than in the JPI group because the volume of the remnant stomach was more adequate in the latter. Moreover, it was easier to enter the remnant stomach and duodenum for endoscopic fiberscopy in the JPI group for the treatment of hepato-biliary pancreatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: JPI is an effective method for preservation of gastric function after proximal gastrectomy.     

Focus on the conditions of resection and reconstruction in gastric cancer. What extent of resection and what kind of reconstruction provide the best outcomes for gastric cancer patients?

To assess the roles of the extent of gastric resection and duodenal food passage reconstruction in gastric cancer, we examined a consecutive series of 1,061 patients who underwent total or partial (proximal and distal) gastrectomies with or without duodenal food passage reconstruction between August of 1974 and January of 2002, and received gastrectomies with D2-3 lymph node dissection. Patients who underwent distal or proximal gastrectomy were found to have significantly better survival rates than those who underwent total gastrectomy in stages 1A (10-year survival: 86.6 and 78.9 vs. 61.6%), 2 (56.5 and 65.6 vs. 34.4%), 3A (45.9 and 33.3 vs. 15.2%), and 4 (5-year survival rates: 23.7 and 50.0 vs. 7.1%). Additionally, patients with duodenal food passage reconstruction or double tract reconstruction also showed significantly better survival rates than those without duodenal food reconstruction in stages 1A (10-year survival: 86.4 and 82.5 vs. 61.7%), 1B (69.9 and 90.6 vs. 54.1%), 2 (60.5 and 63.3 vs. 16.5%), and 3A (39.9 and 47.4 vs. 23.1%). In multivariate analysis, the independent prognostic factors were age at operation, depth of tumor, duodenal food passage reconstruction, and lymph node metastasis. Our results indicate that both the extent of gastric resection and duodenal food passage reconstruction were important factors in the outcome of gastric cancer patients, and that surgeons should perform minimal gastric resection with preservation of the duodenal food passage when the gastric stump is tumor-free.     

Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer

Objective: Synchronous gastric tumors (including benign and secondary tumors) associated with esophageal cancer present diagnostic and therapeutic issues. We investigated this synchronous association, and retrospectively determined the frequency of the gastric tumors and the clinical characteristics.
Methods: In a series of 208 patients with esophageal cancer, we investigated the synchronous gastric tumors, as well as the frequency of association, clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and the clinical outcome after surgery.
Results: Twenty-eight gastric tumors were found in 24 patients. Adenocarcinoma was most frequent. Most of these tumors were located at the upper or middle third of the stomach. Eight gastric tumors in six patients could not be detected preoperatively. Six of these tumors including a gastric remnant cancer were detected in the resected stomach, and two leiomyomas were detected during the operation. In one patient in which an endoscope could not pass through the esophagus, a leiomyoma was detected in the resected stomach. For the gastric cancers, total gastrectomy or proximal gastrectomy with lymph node dissections was performed. For the benign tumors, partial resection of the stomach was performed, and endoscopic resection was performed preoperatively for an adenoma. In both the postoperative hospital mortality rate and the survival rate after surgery, there were no significant differences between the patients with and without gastric tumors.
Conclusions: Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer are not rare. When an endoscope cannot pass through the esophagus before surgery, other techniques must be performed to explore the stomach. For these patients, surgical treatment should be adapted positively.     

A novel operative technique on proximal gastrectomy reconstructed by interposition of a jejunal J pouch with preservation of the vagal nerve and lower esophageal sphincter.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This article describes the surgical techniques and postoperative status for proximal gastrectomy reconstructed by interposition of a jejunal J pouch with preservation of the vagal nerve and lower esophageal sphincter. METHODOLOGY: We have performed a new technique for reducing postgastrectomy sequelae such as reflux esophagitis, early dumping syndrome, and microgastria in early gastric cancer located in the proximal third of the stomach. The technique consists of proximal gastrectomy with preservation of the hepatic, pyloric, celiac branch of the vagal nerve, and abdominal esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter), and reconstruction by interposition of a jejunal J pouch. To reserve pyloric function, pyloroplasty can be omitted by preservation of the pyloric branch from the vagal nerve. To restore loss of reservoir function, the reconstruction is performed with an interposed jejunal J pouch. Sacrifice of the mesenteric arcades is kept to a minimum to preserve the autonomic nerve and blood flow in the mesentery. RESULTS: All of the patients who underwent this operation were able to eat an adequate amount of food at 6 months after surgery and they were satisfied with their postoperative status. And that, we have not experienced postgastrectomy disorders such the dumping syndrome and reflux esophagitis. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, this method is useful for preventing the postoperative disorders in patients with early gastric cancer located in the proximal third of the stomach.     

Total gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. Analysis of 115 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There was a tendency to use more extensive operations for the treatment of gastric cancer during the last decade particularly in Europe. This retrospective study was carried out to review our recent experience with total gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and fifteen patients treated for gastric cancer by total gastrectomy from 1987 to 1996 were analyzed. At the time of surgery 22.3% of patients were older than 70 years of age. RESULTS: Fifty eight cancers (50.4%) were located in the distal third of the stomach, forty-seven (41%) were smaller than 6 cm and seventy-one (61.7%) were of the diffuse type. In 74.9% the tumor had penetrated through the serosa. The mortality and morbidity rates were 6.1% and 35.1% respectively. Age was a major determining factor with respect to hospital mortality and post-operative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of personal attitudes, gastrectomy does not have to be total to be curative, and many total gastrectomies performed in Western countries with "curative intent" are noncurative procedures. Nevertheless, to achieve a curative oncologic resection, total gastrectomy is required with growing frequency.     

Lymph node dissection in surgical treatment for remnant stomach cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastasis in remnant stomach cancer after distal gastrectomy are obscure. There is consequent controversy about appropriate lymph node dissection in such cases. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-three consecutive patients with remnant stomach cancer and 44 consecutive patients primary gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach were investigated retrospectively about lymphatic flow by injection of activated carbon particles, and about the incidence of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastasis in remnant stomach cancer after distal gastrectomy without lymph node dissection were the same as those in primary gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach. Lymphatic flow after distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection frequently streamed toward the para-aortic lymph nodes through the lymph nodes along the greater curvature and the suprapancreatic lymph nodes. Lymphatic flow toward the jejunal and colonic mesentery was observed regardless of the method of reconstruction. This lymphogenesis was clearly observed, especially in patients with tumors invading the anastomosis site of Billroth-II reconstruction. Station Nos. 110 (lower paraesophageal) and 111 (supradiaphragmatic) lymph nodes were also stained, despite being considered sites of distant metastasis irrespective of the method of reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the evidence of altered lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastases in remnant stomach cancer, left upper abdominal evisceration with para-aortic lymph node dissection should be performed in advanced remnant stomach cancer.     

1114 total gastrectomies in the surgical treatment of primary gastric adenocarcinoma--a 30-year single institution experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Surgical therapy still represents the standard treatment for gastric carcinoma. Due to epidemiology and tumor stage, total gastrectomy is the most often required extent of gastric resection to obtain a potentially curative status. After a 30-year period we overviewed 1114 total gastrectomies, to our knowledge one of the biggest single-institution series in the Western Hemisphere. METHODOLOGY: Among 1991 cases with gastric carcinoma, treated between May 1968 and February 1998, 1114 patients underwent total gastrectomy. This prospectively documented series was retrospectively analyzed with special focus on various time periods. RESULTS: A constant increase of proximal gastric carcinomas was noted. R0-resections were feasible in 84.6% of total gastrectomies. Morbidity and mortality decreased to 22.2% and 5.5%, respectively, in the last decade. Overall 5-years survival rate was 32.4%. Survival was strongly influenced by tumor stage and R-classification. Overall and prognosis after R0-resection showed a significant time-dependent improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Total gastrectomy requires intensive surgical skills and can be performed with acceptable morbidity and low mortality. Survival after total gastrectomy can be improved with increasing experience, and the aim of total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma should always focus on a R0-resection.     

Function-preserving gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Japan

Surgery used to be the only therapy for gastric cancer, and since its ability to cure gastric cancer was the focus of attention, less attention was paid to functionpreserving surgery in gastric cancer, though it was studied for gastroduodenal ulcer. Maki et al developed pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for gastric ulcer in 1967. At the same time, the definition of early gastric cancer(EGC) was being considered, histopathological investigations of EGC were carried out, and the validity of modified surgery was sustained. After the development of H2-blockers, the number of operations for gastroduodenal ulcers decreased, and the number of EGC patients increased simultaneously. As a result, the indications for pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for EGC in the middle third of the stomach extended, and various alterations were added. Since then, many kinds of function-preserving gastrectomies have been performed and studied in other fields of gastric cancer, and proximal gastrectomy, jejunal pouch interposition, segmental gastrectomy, and local resection have been performed. On the other hand, from the overall perspective, it can be said that endoscopic resection, which was launched at almost the same time, is the ultimate function-preserving surgery under the current circumstances. The current function-preserving gastrectomies that are often performed and studied are pylorus-preserving gastrectomy and proximal gastrectomy. The reasons for this are that these procedures that can be performed with systemic lymph node dissection, and they include three important elements:(1) reduction of the extent of gastrectomy;(2) preservation of the pylorus; and(3) preservation of the vagal nerve. In addition, these operations are more likely to be performed with a laparoscopic approach as minimally invasive surgery. Of the above-mentioned three elements, reduction of the extent of gastrectomy is the most important in our view. Therefore, we should try to reduce the extent of gastrectomy if curability of the gastric cancer can still be achieved. However, if we preserve a wider residual stomach in functionpreserving gastrectomy, we should pay attention to the development of metachronous gastric cancer.     

Full robot-assisted gastrectomy with intracorporeal robot-sewn anastomosis produces satisfying outcomes

AIM:To evaluate the feasibility and safety of full robotassisted gastrectomy with intracorporeal robot handsewn anastomosis in the treatment of gastric cancer.METHODS:From September 2011 to March 2013,110consecutive patients with gastric cancer at the authors’institution were enrolled for robotic gastrectomies.According to tumor location,total gastrectomy,distal or proximal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was fully performed by the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.All construction,including Roux-en-Y jejunal limb,esophagojejunal,gastroduodenal and gastrojejunal anastomoses were fully carried out by the intracorporeal robot-sewn method.At the end of surgery,the specimen was removed through a 3-4 cm incision at the umbilicus trocar point.The details of the surgical technique are well illustrated.The benefits in terms of surgical and oncologic outcomes are well documented,as well as the failure rate and postoperative complications.RESULTS:From a total of 110 enrolled patients,radical gastrectomy could not be performed in 2 patients due to late stage disease;1 patient was converted to laparotomy because of uncontrollable hemorrhage,and1 obese patient was converted due to difficult exposure;2 patients underwent extra-corporeal anastomosis by minilaparotomy to ensure adequate tumor margin.Robot-sewn anastomoses were successfully performed for 12 proximal,38 distal and 54 total gastrectomies.The average surgical time was 272.52±53.91 min and the average amount of bleeding was 80.78±32.37 mL.The average number of harvested lymph nodes was 23.1±5.3.All specimens showed adequate surgical margin.With regard to tumor staging,26,32 and 46 patients were staged asⅠ,ⅡandⅢ,respectively.The average hospitalization time after surgery was 6.2 d.One patient experienced a duodenal stump anastomotic leak,which was mild and treated conservatively.One patient was readmitted for intra-abdominal infection and was treated conservatively.Jejunal afferent loop obstruction occurred in 1 patient,who underwent re-operati     

Control of alkaline reflux esophagitis after total gastrectomy by a percutaneous jejunostomy tube

Postoperative alkaline reflux esophagitis is a potentially devastating complication after total gastrectomy. The advent of the Roux-en-Y reconstruction has significantly decreased the incidence of this complication. However, when reflux esophagitis occurs, it is often refractory to medical treatment. Even though surgical revision of the Roux-en-Y anastomosis is the management option of choice, affected patients (especially those with advanced metastatic cancers) are often poor surgical candidates. We describe a novel treatment of refractory alkaline reflux esophagitis in a patient after radical total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for advanced gastric carcinoma. Radiologic placement of a percutaneous jejunostomy tube into the proximal jejunal limb resulted in significant symptomatic relief by external diversion of the pancreaticobiliary drainage, and the procedure was associated with minimal discomfort. Nonsurgical pancreaticobiliary diversion should be considered in those patients with refractory alkaline reflux esophagitis that occurs after total gastrectomy.     

Incidence and prognosis of gastric cancer in a population-based cohort survey: the Hisayama study

BACKGROUND: No population-based cohort studies have been undertaken to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of gastric cancer. The purpose of this investigation was to clarify the incidence and fatal prognosis of gastric cancer and to determine the factors that contribute to the prognosis in a general Japanese population in Hisayama using a prospective study design. METHODS: From 1988 to 1998 a total of 2605 subjects aged 40 years or older with no history of gastrectomy or gastric cancer were followed-up prospectively after a health examination. The diagnosis of gastric cancer was based on clinical records or autopsy findings. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 76 subjects developed gastric cancer. The age-adjusted incidence of gastric cancer for men (4.9 per 1000 person-years) was 4-fold higher than that for women (1.2, P < 0.05). In men, the incidence of gastric cancer increased with advancing age, but this trend was not observed in women. The age- and sex-adjusted 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in cancers of the middle third of the stomach than in those of the upper third of the stomach. The survival rate was higher in cancers of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma than in those of the other histological types. There were no cases of cancer-related death among the early gastric cancers during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that men are at higher risk of gastric cancer than women in the general Japanese population. Clinical stage, histological type, and site of cancer in the stomach contribute to a fatal prognosis.     

Worldwide practice in gastric cancer surgery

AIM: To evaluate the current status of gastric cancer surgery worldwide.METHODS: An international cross-sectional survey on gastric cancer surgery was performed amongst international upper gastro-intestinal surgeons. All surgical members of the International Gastric Cancer Association were invited by e-mail to participate. An English web-based survey had to be filled in with regard to their surgical preferences. Questions asked included hospital volume, the use of neoadjuvant treatment, preferred surgical approach, extent of the lymphadenectomy and preferred anastomotic technique. The invitations were sent in September 2013 and the survey was closed in January 2014.RESULTS: The corresponding specific response rate was 227/615 (37%). The majority of respondents: originated from Asia (54%), performed > 21 gastrectomies per year (79%) and used neoadjuvant chemotherapy (73%). An open surgical procedure was performed by the majority of surgeons for distal gastrectomy for advanced cancer (91%) and total gastrectomy for both early and advanced cancer (52% and 94%). A minimally invasive procedure was preferred for distal gastrectomy for early cancer (65%). In Asia surgeons preferred a minimally invasive procedure for total gastrectomy for early cancer also (63%). A D1+ lymphadenectomy was preferred in early gastric cancer (52% for distal, 54% for total gastrectomy) and a D2 lymphadenectomy was preferred in advanced gastric cancer (93% for distal, 92% for total gastrectomy)CONCLUSION: Surgical preferences for gastric cancer surgery vary between surgeons worldwide. Although the majority of surgeons use neoadjuvant chemotherapy, minimally invasive techniques are still not widely adapted.     

Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Early Gastric Cancer after Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

Abstract: In 1991, we first performed a simple technique of Iaparoscopy-assisted Bill-roth I gastrectomy for patients with mucosal gastric cancer. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) sometimes fails to completely resect the early gastric cancer lesion, nor does it give full histopathology of the resected stomach. The aim of this study was to review the surgical and pathological findings of eight patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy after EMR for early gastric cancer. Of 54 patients with early gastric cancer who were treated with laparoscopic gastrectomy between 1994 and 1998, eight patients underwent surgery after EMR. The resected margin of the EMR specimens was positive in three and suspicious in five; and three underwent laparoscopic wedge resection of the stomach, while five underwent Iaparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with regional lymph node dissection. All but one resected stomach had residual cancer tissue in the mucosa or submucosa, and three patients had multiple gastric cancers. The results indicated that remnant cancer tissue might be present when the resected margin of the EMR specimen was positive or suspicious. Partial resection or distal gastrectomy under laparoscopy is useful for such patients who have undergone EMR for early gastric cancer. (Dig Endooc 1999; 11:132–136)     

Surgical treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer in 2,613 patients

AIM: To analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer after surgical treatment, in order to optimize the surgical procedures.METHODS: A retrospective study of 2 613 consecutive patients with gastric cancer was performed. Of these patients, 2 301 (88.1%) received operations; 196 explorative laparotorny (EL), 130 by-pass procedure (BPP), and 1 975 surgical resection of the tumors (891 palliative resection and 1 084 curative resection). The survival rate was calculated by theactuarial life table method, and the prognostic factors were evaluated using the Cox regression proportional hazard model.RESULTS: Of the patients, 2 450 (93.8%) were followed-up.The median survival period was 4.6 mo for patients without operation, 5.2 mo for EL, 6.4 mo for BPP, and 15.2 mo for palliative resection (P = 0.0001). Of the patients with surgical resection of the tumors, the overall 1, 3 and 5-yearsurvival rates after were 82.7%, 46.3% and 31.1%,respectively, with the 5-year survival rate being 51.2% in patients with curative resection, and 7.8% for those with palliative resection. The 5-year survival rate was 32.5% for patients with total gastrectorny, and 28.3% for those with total gastrectomy plus resection of the adjacent organs. The factors that independently correlated with poor survival included advanced stage, upper third location, palliative resection, poor differentiation, type IV of Borrman nclassification, tumor metastasis (N3), tumor invasion into the serosa and contiguous structure, proximal subtotal gastrectomy for upper third carcinoma and D1 lymphadenectomy aftercurative treatment.CONCLUSION: The primary lesion should be resected as long as the local condition permitted for stage III and IV tumors, in order to prolong the patients‘ survival and improve their quality of life after operation. Total gastrectomy is indicated for carcinomas in the cardia and fundus, and gastric cancer involving the adjacent organs without distant metastasis requires gastrectomy with resection of the involved organs.     

腹腔镜胃切除后反式抵订座置入法行端端及端侧吻合术的临床应用

目的评价腹腔镜下行全胃或近端胃切除术后一种新的食管空肠／食管胃吻合方式的临床应用价值。方法22例胃癌患者行腹腔镜胃癌根治术,游离胃及淋巴结清扫后在腹腔镜监视下采用反式抵订座法将抵钉座置入食管,并行食管空肠或食管胃吻合术（观察组）,观察手术效果。并与同期18例腹腔镜胃癌根治手术后行开放下食管空肠或食管胃吻合患者（对照组）的手术效果进行比较。结果观察组均顺利完成腹腔镜切除手术及吻合,其中17例行胃全切＋食管空肠吻合,5例行近端胃切除＋食管胃吻合,无一例中转开腹,手术时间（272．0±49．8）min,消化道重建时间（48．1±12．8）rain,通过反式抵订座置入技术完成吻合器抵钉座的放置时间（12．9±4．3）min,术后下床活动时间（3．4±0．8）d,术后进食时间（8．0±2．6）d,术后住院时间（10．8±3．3）d,术后近期疗效良好。与对照组比较,在手术时间、术后进食时间及术后住院时间上无明显区别（P〉0．05）,但抵订座置入时间和消化道重建时间更短（P〈0．05）,术后患者下床活动的时间更早（P〈0．05）。结论反式抵订座置入法技术可靠、稳定,是今后腹腔镜下食管空肠或食管胃吻合的理想技术方案之一。     

Results of follow-up endoscopy in patients who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The present study evaluates the findings of long-term follow-up endoscopy in patients who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition for gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: A total of 55 patients (45 males, 10 females; 32 to 79 years; mean, 55.9 years), who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition, were enrolled in the present study. We reviewed the findings of follow-up endoscopy of all patients with particular reference to the development of esophagitis, jejunitis, jejunal ulcer and secondary tumors. RESULTS: We found reflux esophagitis in 6 patients (10.9%) between 12 and 35 months with an average of 22 months after surgery. Jejunitis was discovered in 5 patients (9.0%) between 6 and 96 months with an average of 29 months after surgery. Jejunal ulcer was revealed in 6 patients (10.9%) between 6 and 75 months with an average of 37 months after surgery. Tumors of the remnant stomach, early gastric cancer and gastric adenoma, were identified in 2 patients (3.6%) at 24 months and 69 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Jejunal interposition combined with proximal gastrectomy does not always prevent complications related to regurgitation of gastric content, and may not be a suitable treatment in view of postoperative endoscopic surveillance. Further studies are required to identify an appropriate surgical approach to proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.