Advances,breakthroughs,and challenges in gastric cancer surgery

Gastric cancer(GC)remains a substantial health burden worldwide,ranking fifth in incidence and third in mortality among all cancer types.Surgeons have persistently attempted to address this growing burden through surgical management of GC encompassing various aspects of surgery,including advances in surgical techniques and tools for minimally invasive surgery,novel technology for real-time image-guided surgery,and function-preserving and oncometabolic surgeries,aimed at improving patients’quality of life.The current perspective discusses the five most critical dimensions of the recent technical improvements and conceptual changes in GC surgery.We recommend further exploration of long-term benefits of these advancements,identification of breakthrough solutions to address current challenges,and delivery of the best quality of care.

Effect of ultrasound-guided lumbar square muscle block on stress response in patients undergoing radical gastric cancer surgery

BACKGROUND Radical surgery is a common treatment for patients with gastric cancer;however,it can lead to postoperative complications and intestinal barrier dysfunction.Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block is often used for postoperative analgesia,but its effects on stress response and intestinal barrier function are not well understood.AIM To investigate the effects of an ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block on stress response and intestinal barrier function in patients undergoing radical surgery for gastric cancer.METHODS A total of 100 patients undergoing radical surgery for gastric cancer were randomly categorized into observation and control groups.Plasma adrenaline and cortisol levels,intestinal mucosal barrier indexes,and complication rates were compared between the two groups before,during,and 1 day after surgery.RESULTS The observation group had significantly lower plasma adrenaline and cortisol levels during surgery and at 1 day postoperatively than that of the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,intestinal barrier indexes(endotoxin and D-dimer)at 1 day postoperatively were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block could reduce stress response,protect intestinal barrier function,and decrease the incidence of complications in patients undergoing radical surgery for gastric cancer.This technique has the potential for clinical applications.

Incidence and risk factors for the development of anemia following gastric bypass surgery

AIM:To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for the development of anemia after RouxenY gastric bypass (RYGB).METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing RYGB from January 2003 to November 2007 was performed. All patients had a preoperative body mass index > 40 kg/m2. A total of 206 patients were evaluated. All patients were given daily supplements of ferrous sulfate tablets for 2 wk following their operation. Hematological and metabolic indices were routinely evaluated following surgery. Patients were followed for a minimum of 86 wk.RESULTS: There were 41 males and 165 females with an average age of 40.8 years. 21 patients (10.2%) developed postoperative anemia and 185 patients (89.8%) did not. Anemia was due to iron deficiency in all cases. The groups had similar demographics, surgical procedure and comorbidities. Menstruation (P = 0.02) and peptic ulcer disease (P = 0.01) were risk factors for the development of postoperative anemia.CONCLUSION: Iron deficiency anemia is frequent. RYGB surgery compounds occult blood loss. Increased ferrous sulfate supplementation may prevent iron depletion in populations at increased risk.

Two case reports of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding from duodenal ulcers after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: Endoscopic diagnosis and therapy by single balloon or push enteroscopy after missed diagnosis by standard esophagogastroduodenoscopy

The diagnosis and opportunity for endoscopic therapy of gastric or duodenal lesions may be missed at esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD) because of technical difficulty in intubating at EGD the postoperatively excluded stomach and proximal duodenum in patients status post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass(RYGB). Two cases are reported of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding 10 or 11 years status postRYGB, performed for morbid obesity, in which the EGD was non-diagnostic due to failure to intubate the excluded stomach and proximal duodenum, whereas subsequent push enteroscopy or single balloon enteroscopy were diagnostic and revealed 4-cm-wide or 5-mm-wide bulbar ulcers and even permitted application of endoscopic therapy. These case reports suggest consideration of push enteroscopy, or single balloon enteroscopy, where available, in the endoscopic evaluation of acute UGI bleeding in patients status post RYGB surgery when the EGD was non-diagnostic because of failure to intubate these excluded segments.

Erroneous presentation of respiratory-hemodynamic disturbances and postsurgical inflammatory responses in patients having undergone abdominal cavity cancer surgery

In this letter to the editor,the authors discuss the findings and shortcomings of a published retrospective study,including 120 patients undergoing surgery for gastric or colon cancer under general anesthesia.The study focused on perioperative dynamic respiratory and hemodynamic disturbances and early postsurgical inflammatory responses.

Gastric splenosis mimicking a gastrointestinal stromal tumor:A case report

BACKGROUND Mass lesions located in the wall of the stomach(and also of the bowel)are referred to as“intramural.”The differential diagnosis of such lesions can be challenging in some cases.As such,it may occur that an inconclusive fine needle aspiration(FNA)result give way to an unexpected diagnosis upon final surgical pathology.Herein,we present a case of an intramural gastric nodule mimicking a gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST).CASE SUMMARY A 47-year-old Caucasian woman,who had undergone splenectomy for trauma at the age of 16,underwent gastroscopy for long-lasting epigastric pain and dyspepsia.It revealed a 15 mm submucosal nodule bulging into the gastric lumen with smooth margins and normal overlying mucosa.A thoraco-abdominal computed tomography scan showed in the gastric fundus a rounded mass(30 mm in diameter)with an exophytic growth and intense enhancement after administration of intravenous contrast.Endoscopic ultrasound scan showed a hypoechoic nodule,and fine needle FNA was inconclusive.Gastric GIST was considered the most probable diagnosis,and surgical resection was proposed due to symptoms.A laparoscopic gastric wedge resection was performed.The postoperative course was uneventful,and the patient was discharged on the seventh postoperative day.The final pathology report described a rounded encapsulated accumulation of lymphoid tissue of about 4 cm in diameter consistent with spleen parenchyma implanted during the previous splenectomy.CONCLUSION Splenosis is a rare condition that should always be considered as a possible diagnosis in splenectomized patients who present with an intramural gastric nodule.

SOME PROBLEMS IN THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF GASTRIC CANCER

Radical resections were performed in 177 cases of gastric cancer ( early cancer 31 cases and advanced cancer 146 cases). R1+ operation was performed in 10 cases and R2 or R3 was in 167. All patients were followed up to the end of the study with the 5-year survival rate of 57. 6%. In the patients with normal serosa, cancer was often located in the mucosa. In such situation, R1 or R1+ operation was advisiable. In the patients of reactive serosal types, the extent of operation should not be reduced. The serosa were often penetrated by cancer cells in diffusely infiltrated cancer, with a poor prognosis. If measures were not taken to destroy free cancer cells, the 5-year survival rate was very low inspite of radical operations. The number of lymph nodes metastasis was closely related to the biological behavior of primary cancer. Prognosis was good after R2 or R3 operation when the cancer was still within the gastric wall, Borrmann type 1,2,3 massive or nest growth patterns, and the number of lymph node metastasis was below 5 and within first station (n1) .If the number of lymph nodes metastasis was above 10, metastasis to the second (n2) or third station (n3), the cancer infiltrated to the serosa, Borrmann type 4, diffused growth pattern theprognosis was poor even R2 or R3 operations were performed.

Large primary hepatic gastrinoma in young patient treated with trisegmentectomy: A case report and review of the literature

Primary hepatic gastrinoma is a rare disease, with fewer than 40 cases reported in the medical literature. Because it is located in an organ in which metastases are common, its diagnosis is difficult. We report a case of a 19 years old male patient with a history of gastric ulcers since the age of nine. Following gastric surgery, an antrectomy and a vagotomy, there was some alleviation of symptoms. Subsequently, the patient reported various intermittent episodes of diarrhea, diffuse abdominal pain, and vomiting. The patient underwent tomography, which revealed the presence of a hepatic mass measuring 19.5 cm × 12.5 cm × 17 cm. Primary hepatic gastrinoma was diagnosed based on laboratory examinations that indicated hypergastrinemia and a positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance study with somatostatin analogue that confirmed the liver as the primary site. After hepatic trisegmentectomy(Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅷ), the patient's symptoms improved. The case is notable for the presence of a rare tumor with uncommon dimensions.

Potential contribution of the gut microbiota to hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery

Obesity has become a global health problem. Lifestyle modification and medical treatment only appear to yield short-term weight loss. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most popular bariatric procedure, and it sustains weight reduction and results in the remission of obesity-associated comorbidities for obese individuals. However, patients who undergo this surgery may develop hypoglycemia. To date, the diagnosis is challenging and the prevalence of post-RYGB hypoglycemia (PRH) is unclear. RYGB alters the anatomy of the upper gastrointestinal tract and has a combined effect of caloric intake restriction and nutrient malabsorption. Nevertheless, the physiologic changes after RYGB are complex. Although hyperinsulinemia, incretin effects, dysfunction of β-cells and α-cells, and some other factors have been widely investigated and are reported to be possible mediators of PRH, the pathogenesis is still not completely understood. In light of the important role of the gut microbiome in metabolism, we hypothesized that the gut microbiome might also be a critical link between RYGB and hypoglycemia. In this review, we mainly highlight the current possible factors predisposing individuals to PRH, particularly related to the gut microbiota, which may yield significant insights into the intestinal regulation of glucose metabolic homeostasis and provide novel clues to improve the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Gut-brain crosstalk regulates craving for fatty food

Patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass(RYGB)surgery elicit striking loss of body weight. Anatomical restructuring of the gastrointestinal(GI) tract, leading to reduced caloric intake and changes in food preference, are thought to be the primary drivers of weight loss in bariatric surgery patients. However, the mechanisms by which RYGB surgery causes a reduced preference for fatty foods remain elusive. In a recent report, Hankir et al described how RYGB surgery modulated lipid nutrient signals in the intestine of rats to blunt their craving for fatty food. The authors reported that RYGB surgery restored an endogenous fat-satiety signaling pathway, mediated via oleoylethanolamide(OEA), that was greatly blunted in obese animals. In RYGB rats, high fat diet(HFD) led to increased production of OEA that activated the intestinal peroxisome proliferation activator receptors-α(PPARα). In RYGB rats, activation of PPARα by OEA was accompanied by enhanced dopamine neurotransmission in the dorsal striatum and reduced preference for HFD. The authors showed that OEA-mediated signals to the midbrain were transmitted via the vagus nerve. Interfering with either the production of OEA in enterocytes, or blocking of vagal and striatal D1 receptors signals eliminated the decreased craving for fat in RYGB rats. These studies demonstrated that bariatric surgery led to alterations in the reward circuitry of the brain in RYGB rats and reduced their preference for HFD.