Does the addition of Braun anastomosis to Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction on laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy benefit patients?

BACKGROUND Operation is the primary therapeutic option for patients with distal gastrectomy.Braun anastomosis is usually performed after Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,which is wildly applied on distal gastrectomy because it is believed to benefit patients.However,studies are needed to confirm that.AIM To identify whether the addition of Braun anastomosis to Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction on laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy benefits patients.METHODS A total of 143 patients with gastric cancer underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy at Centre 1 of PLA general hospital between January 2015 and December 2019.Clinical data of the patients were collected,and 93 of the 143 patients were followed up.These 93 patients were divided into two groups:Group 1(Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,33 patients);and Group 2(Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction combined with Braun anastomosis,60 patients).Postoperative complication follow-up data and relevant clinical data were compared between the two groups.RESULTS There were no significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 in postoperative complications(6.1%vs 6.7%,P=0.679),anal exhaust time or blood loss.The follow-up prevalence of reflux gastritis indicated no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2(68.2%vs 51.7%,P=0.109).The followup European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 scores revealed no evident difference between Group 1 and Group 2 as well.Group 1 had a shorter operating time than Group 2 on average(234.6 min vs 262.0 min,P=0.017).CONCLUSION Combined with Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,Braun anastomosis has been applied due to its ability to reduce the prevalence of reflux gastritis.Whereas in this study,the prevalence of reflux gastritis showed no significant difference,leading to a conclusion that under the circumstance of Braun anastomosis costing more time and more money,simple Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction should be widely applied.

Laparoscopic-assisted vs open transhiatal gastrectomy for Siewert type Ⅱ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND The studies of laparoscopic-assisted transhiatal gastrectomy(LTG) in patients with Siewert type Ⅱ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction(AEG) are scarce.AIM To compare the surgical efficiency of LTG with the open transhiatal gastrectomy(OTG) for patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG.METHODS We retrospectively evaluated a total of 578 patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG who have undergone LTG or OTG at the First Medical Center of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2014 to December 2019. The short-term and long-term outcomes were compared between the LTG(n = 382) and OTG(n = 196) groups.RESULTS Compared with the OTG group, the LTG group had a longer operative time but less blood loss, shorter length of abdominal incision and an increased number of harvested lymph nodes(P < 0.05). Patients in the LTG group were able to eat liquid food, ambulate, expel flatus and discharge sooner than the OTG group(P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in postoperative complications and R0 resection. The 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival performed better in the LTG group compared with that in the OTG group(88.2% vs 79.2%, P = 0.011;79.7% vs 73.0%, P = 0.002, respectively). In the stratified analysis, both overall survival and disease-free survival were better in the LTG group than those in the OTG group for stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ patients(P < 0.05) but not for stage I patients.CONCLUSION For patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG, LTG is associated with better short-term outcomes and similar oncology safety. In addition, patients with advanced stage AEG may benefit more from LTG in the long-term outcomes.

3D laparoscopic-assisted vs open gastrectomy for carcinoma in the remnant stomach: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Three-dimensional(3D) laparoscopic technique has gradually been applied to the treatment of carcinoma in the remnant stomach(CRS), but its clinical efficacy remains controversial.AIM To compare the short-term and long-term results of 3D laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy(3DLAG) with open gastrectomy(OG) for CRS.METHODS The clinical data of patients diagnosed with CRS and admitted to the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to January 2021 were retrospectively collected. A total of 84 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. All their clinical data were collected and a database was established. All patients were treated with 3DLAG or OG by experienced surgeons and were divided into two groups based on the different surgical methods mentioned above. By using outpatient and telephone follow-up,we were able to determine postoperative survival and tumor status. The postoperative short-term efficacy and 1-year and 3-year overall survival(OS) rates were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Among 84 patients with CRS, 48 were treated with OG and 36 with 3DLAG. All patients successfully completed surgery. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, body mass index, ASA score,initial disease state(benign or malignant), primary surgical anastomosis method,interval time of carcinogenesis, and tumorigenesis site. Patients in the 3DLAG group experienced less intraoperative blood loss(188.33 ± 191.35 mL vs 305.83 ± 303.66 mL;P =0.045) and smaller incision(10.86 ± 3.18 cm vs 20.06 ± 5.17 cm;P < 0.001) than those in the OG group. 3DLAGC was a more minimally invasive method. 3DLAGC retrieved significantly more lymph nodes than OG(14.0 ± 7.17 vs 10.73 ± 6.82;P = 0.036), whereas the number of positive lymph nodes did not differ between the two groups(1.56 ± 2.84 vs 2.35 ± 5.28;P = 0.413). The complication rate(8.3% vs 20.8%;P = 0.207) and intensive care unit admission rate(5.6% vs 14.5%;P = 0.372) were equivalent between the two groups. In terms of postoperative recovery, the 3DLAGC group had a lower visual analog score, shorter indwelling time of gastric and drainage tubes, shorter time of early off-bed motivation, shorter time of postoperative initial flatus and initial soft diet intake, shorter postoperative hospital stay and total hospital stay, and there were significant differences, showing better short-term efficacy. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates of OG group were 83.2% [95% confidence interval(CI): 72.4%-95.6%] and 73.3%(95%CI: 60.0%-89.5%)respectively. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates of the 3DLAG group were 87.3%(95%CI: 76.4%-99.8%) and 75.6%(95%CI: 59.0%-97.0%), respectively. However, the 1-year and 3-year OS rates were similar between the two groups, which suggested that long-term survival results were comparable between the two groups(P = 0.68).CONCLUSION Compared with OG, 3DLAG for CRS achieved better short-term efficacy and equivalent oncological results without increasing clinical complications. 3DLAG for CRS can be promoted safely and effectively in selected patients.