• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.136-148
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To define the role of robotic gastrectomy for the treatment of gastric cancer, the present systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search up to July 2012 was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. All eligible studies comparing robotic gastrectomy versus laparoscopic gastrectomy or open gastrectomy were included. Results: Included in our meta-analysis were seven studies of 1,967 patients that compared robotic (n=404) with open (n=718) or laparoscopic (n=845) gastrectomy. In the complete analysis, a shorter hospital stay was noted with robotic gastrectomy than with open gastrectomy (weighted mean difference: -2.92, 95% confidence interval: -4.94 to -0.89, P=0.005). Additionally, there was a significant reduction in intraoperative blood loss with robotic gastrectomy compared with laparoscopic gastrectomy (weighted mean difference: -35.53, 95% confidence interval: -66.98 to -4.09, P=0.03). These advantages were at the price of a significantly prolonged operative time for both robotic gastrectomy versus laparoscopic gastrectomy (weighted mean difference: 63.70, 95% confidence interval: 44.22 to 83.17, P<0.00001) and robotic gastrectomy versus open gastrectomy (weighted mean difference: 95.83, 95% confidence interval: 54.48 to 137.18, P<0.00001). Analysis of the number of lymph nodes retrieved and overall complication rates revealed that these outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusions: Robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer reduces intraoperative blood loss and the postoperative hospital length of stay compared with laparoscopic gastrectomy and open gastrectomy at a cost of a longer operating time. Robotic gastrectomy also provides an oncologically adequate lymphadenectomy. Additional high-quality prospective studies are recommended to better evaluate both short and long-term outcomes.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Additional gastrectomy is needed after endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer when pathology confirms any possibility of lymph node metastasis or margin involvement. No studies depicted the optimal type of surgery to apply in these patients. We compared the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy with those of open gastrectomy after endoscopic resection to identify the optimal type of surgery. Materials and Methods: From 2003 to 2010, 110 consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy either by laparoscopic (n=74) or by open (n=36) for gastric cancer after endoscopic resection were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative and oncological outcomes were compared according to types of surgical approach. Results: Clinicopathological characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Laparoscopic group showed significantly shorter time to gas passing and soft diet and hospital day than open group while operation time and rate of postoperative complications were comparable between the two groups. All specimens had negative margins regardless of types of approach. Mean number of retrieved lymph nodes did not differ significantly between the two groups. During the median follow-up of 47 months, there were no statistical differences in recurrence rate (1.4% for laparoscopic and 5.6% for open, P=0.25) and in overall (P=0.22) and disease-free survival (P=0.19) between the two groups. Type of approach was not an independent risk factor for recurrence and survival. Conclusions: Laparoscopic gastrectomy after endoscopic resection showed comparable oncologic outcomes to open approach while maintaining benefits of minimally invasive surgery. Thus, laparoscopic gastrectomy can be a treatment of choice for patients previously treated by endoscopic resection.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2022

Background: Open gastrectomy causes severe postoperative pain. Therefore, we investigated the opioid-sparing effect of the ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) after open gastrectomy. Methods: Adult patients undergoing open gastrectomy were randomly assigned to either the ESPB group (ESPB + fentanyl based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia [IV-PCA]) or a control group (fentanyl based IV-PCA only). The primary outcome was total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain intensities using a numeric rating scale at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hour postoperatively, and the amount of fentanyl equivalent consumption during the PACU stay and at 3, 6, and 12 hour postoperatively, and the time to the first request for rescue analgesia. Results: Fifty-eight patients were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively between the two groups (P = 0.471). Pain intensities were not significantly different between the groups except during the PACU stay and 3 hour postoperatively (P < 0.001, for both). Time to the first rescue analgesia in the ward was longer in the ESPB group than the control group (P = 0.045). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided ESPB did not decrease total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour after open gastrectomy. It only reduced postoperative pain intensity until 3 hour postoperatively compared with the control group. Ultrasound-guided single-shot ESPB cannot provide an efficient opioid-sparing effect after open gastrectomy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.179-184
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Postoperative pancreatic fistula is a dreadful complication after gastric cancer surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the actual incidence and risk factors of postoperative pancreatic fistula after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 900 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer (laparoscopic gastrectomy, 594 patients; open gastrectomy 306 patients) were enrolled between January 2009 and December 2010. Clinical outcomes, including postoperative pancreatic fistula grade based on the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula, were investigated. Results: Overall, the postoperative pancreatic fistula rate was 3.3% (30/900) (1.5% in laparoscopic gastrectomy versus 6.9% in open gastrectomy, P<0.001). Patients who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy, total gastrectomy, splenectomy or distal pancreatectomy showed higher postoperative pancreatic fistula rates (4.7%, 13.8%, 13.6%, or 57.1%, respectively, P<0.001). Patients with postoperative pancreatic fistula had higher morbidity (46.7% versus 13.1%, P<0.001), delayed gas out (4.9 days versus 3.8 days, P<0.001), belated diet start (5.8 days versus 3.5 days, P<0.001) and longer postoperative hospital stay (13.7 days versus 6.8 days, P<0.001). On the multivariate analysis, total gastrectomy (odds ratio 9.751, 95% confidence interval: 3.348 to 28.397, P<0.001), distal pancreatectomy (odds ratio 7.637, 95% confidence interval: 1.668 to 34.961, P=0.009) and open gastrectomy (odds ratio 2.934, 95% confidence interval: 1.100 to 7.826, P=0.032) were the independent risk factors of postoperative pancreatic fistula. Conclusions: Laparoscopic gastrectomy had an advantage over open gastrectomy in terms of the lower postoperative pancreatic fistula rate. Total gastrectomy and combined resection, such as distal pancreatectomy, should be performed carefully to minimize postoperative pancreatic fistula in gastric cancer surgery.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.207-213
• /
• 2013

Purpose: We investigated early postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis who had undergone radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 41 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at the Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital (Hwasun-gun, Korea) between August 2004 and June 2009. There were few patients with Child-Pugh class B or C; therefore, we restricted patient selection to those with Child-Pugh class A. Results: Postoperative complications were observed in 22 (53.7%) patients. The most common complications were ascites (46.3%), postoperative hemorrhage (22.0%) and wound infection (12.2%). Intra-abdominal abscess developed in one (2.4%) patient who had undergone open gastrectomy. Massive ascites occurred in 4 (9.8%) patients. Of the patients who underwent open gastrectomy, nine (21.9%) patients required blood transfusions as a result of postoperative hemorrhage. However, most of these patients had advanced gastric cancer. In contrast, most patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy had early stage gastric cancer, and when the confounding effect from the different stages between the two groups was corrected statistically, no statistically significant difference was found. There was also no significant difference between open and laparoscopic gastrectomy in the occurrence rate of other postoperative complications such as ascites, wound infection, and intra-abdominal abscess. No postoperative mortality occurred. Conclusions: Laparoscopic gastrectomy is a feasible surgical procedure for patients with moderate hepatic dysfunction.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2004

Recently detection of early gastric cancer (EGC) has been increasing and the treatment strategies for gastric cancer have been changing. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between laparoscopically assisted (LADG) and hand-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy (HALDG) and open distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. This review is directed toward providing gastric surgeons with recent advances in the treatment of EGC. We investigated the English language literature for the past 12 years through computer searches which focused on : 1) Patient demographics, 2) Operation time, 3) Intra-operative blood loss, 4) Depth of invasion, 5) CBC, 6)Weight loss, 7) Analgesic requirement, 8)Time NPO, 9) Length of hospital stay, 10) Tumor stage, 11) Lymph node (LN) dissection, 12) Position of LN resected, 13) Complications. Improved operative techniques and surgical instrumentation have facilitated the development of minimally invasive gastric cancer surgery. The short-term benefits of laparoscopic gastrectomy included less surgical trauma, less pain, rapid return of gastrointestinal function, and shorter hospital stay, with no change in operative outcome. Laparoscopic gastrectomy was better accepted by the patients as a good procedure and promptly brought the patients back to their previous lifestyle and activities of daily living. But the advantages of HALDG for gastric cancer, extended lymph node dissection and intracorporeal anastomosis are feasible and easier with the presence of the internal hand. The hand-assisted laparoscopic (HALDG) method reported the best results in lymph node dissection.This method is an alternative to total laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. LADG and HALDG, when compared with conventional open gastrectomy, have several advantages. When performed by a skilled surgeon, LADG and HALDG are safe and useful techniques for patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Their appropriateness for gastric cancer surgery require further study.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.125-127
• /
• 2016

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is more complicated than laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, especially during a surgeon's initial experience with the technique. In this study, we evaluated the short-term outcomes of and learning curve for LTG during the initial cases of a single surgeon compared with those of open total gastrectomy (OTG). Materials and Methods: Between 2009 and 2013, 134 OTG and 74 LTG procedures were performed by a single surgeon who was experienced with OTG but new to performing LTG. Clinical characteristics, operative parameters, and short-term postoperative outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Advanced gastric cancer and D2 lymph node dissection were more common in the OTG than LTG group. Although the operation time was significantly longer for LTG than for OTG ($175.7{\pm}43.1$ minutes vs. $217.5{\pm}63.4$ minutes), LTG seems to be slightly superior or similar to OTG in terms of postoperative recovery measures. The operation time moving average of 15 cases in the LTG group decreased gradually, and the curve flattened at 54 cases. The postoperative complication rate was similar for the two groups (11.9% vs. 13.5%). No anastomotic or stump leaks occurred. Conclusions: Although LTG is technically difficult and operation time is longer for surgeons experienced in open surgery, it can be performed safely, even during a surgeon's early experience with the technique. Considering the benefits of minimally invasive surgery, LTG is recommended for early gastric cancer.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.237-245
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Senior surgeons prefer open gastrectomy (OG), while young surgeons prefer laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of LG performed by a senior surgeon who was an expert in OG during his learning period, by comparing them with LGs performed by a young surgeon. Materials and Methods: A senior surgeon performed 50 curative gastrectomies with laparoscopy (LG-S group) from March 2015 to August 2016. A young surgeon's initial 50 LGs comprised the LG-Y group. Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes were compared between the LG-S and LG-Y groups. Results: D2 lymphadenectomy was more frequently performed in the LG-S group than in the LG-Y group (P=0.029). The operation time and number of retrieved lymph nodes did not significantly differ between the 2 surgeons (P=0.258 and P=0.410, respectively). Postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complication rate were similar between 2 groups (P=0.234 and P=1.000, respectively). Similarly, significant decreases in operation time with increasing case numbers were observed for both surgeons, whereas the number of retrieved lymph nodes increased significantly in the LG-Y group but not in the LG-S group. Conclusions: The LG outcomes when performed by the senior surgeon were comparable to those when performed by the young surgeon, despite performing more extended lymphadenectomies. Senior surgeons who are experts in OG should not refrain from performing LG.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.57-68
• /
• 2024

Reduced-port gastrectomy (RPG) includes all procedures derived from various efforts to minimize surgical invasiveness, with single-incision laparoscopic gastrectomy (SILG) being the ultimate reduced-port technique. However, there are challenges related to its feasibility, oncological validity, training, and education. This review describes the current issues and challenges, as well as the future prospects of RPG for gastric cancer. Gastrectomy, which started as an open surgery, has evolved into a laparoscopic surgery. With the advancements in laparoscopic technology, SILG has been used to minimize surgical scarring. However, owing to the technical difficulties of SILG, cases involving the addition of 1 trocar or needle grasper alongside the multichannel port have also been reported. Additionally, 3-port laparoscopic gastrectomy (3PLG) using only 3 trocars is also being performed. RPG, as a concept, includes a range of approaches such as SILG, 2-port laparoscopic gastrectomy, and 3PLG. These techniques aimed to reduce the number of ports or incisions required for laparoscopic gastrectomy. Despite technical difficulties, RPGs offer numerous advantages, including minimal invasiveness, excellent cosmetic outcomes, and the potential for improved postoperative recovery, such as reduced length of hospital stay and post-operative pain. It could be considered similar to conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy, and may not be oncologically inferior. Ongoing studies, such as the KLASS 12, are required to gain further insights.