Usefulness of the Transoral Anvil Delivery System for Esophagojejunostomy After Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy: A Single-institution Comparative Study of Transoral Anvil Delivery System and the Overlap Method. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2018;28:e40-e43. [PMID: 29064880 DOI: 10.1097/sle.0000000000000495]

Joint Nasogastric Tube Versus Traditional Decompression Nasogastric Tube to Guided OGT-Overlap Esophagojejunostomy in Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Our team pioneered the use of a joint nasogastric tube (JNT) for pairing overlap-esophagojejunostomy guiding tube (OGT) in an OGT-overlap esophagojejunostomy, demonstrating its safety and efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of a novel technique, the JNT, with traditional nasogastric tubing (TNT) in guiding OGT-overlap esophagojejunostomy.

METHODS

From January 2023 to January 2024, a total of 108 gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) were eligible for inclusion in this study; however, 2 patients were excluded as they underwent hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after surgery. Patients were randomized into two groups: the JNT-OGT-overlap esophagojejunostomy group (JNT group; n = 53) or the TNT-OGT-overlap esophagojejunostomy group (TNT group; n = 53).

RESULTS

The JNT group had a significantly higher success rate for nasogastric tube (NT) insertion into the esophageal stump on the first attempt (90.6% vs. 58.5%; p < 0.001). Additionally, the insertion times were reduced by 6/7 of their original duration (15 [21] vs. 100 [120] sec; p < 0.001)], and connection times for OGT and NT were shortened to 2/5 of their original duration (90 [63] vs. 220 [130] sec; p < 0.001). Esophagojejunostomy time was also shorter in the JNT group (17.4 vs. 21.7 min; p < 0.001). Two cases were converted from TNT to JNT due to the failure of TNT to guide the esophageal stump entry hole for more than 5 min, which was resolved promptly by the JNT. Postoperative complications (18.9% vs. 20.8%; p = 0.807), particularly esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage (EJAL; 5.7% vs. 3.8%; p =1.000), and complication severity classification (p = 0.315) were comparable between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The JNT technique significantly and safely improved the efficiency of OGT-overlap esophagojejunostomy compared with TNT, suggesting a well-tolerated and efficient new strategy for esophagojejunostomy.

The safety and feasibility assessment of overlap esophagojejunostomy with self-pulling and latter transection technique in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

This study presented an innovative technique in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TLTG) for overlap esophagojejunostomy (E-J), termed self-pulling and latter transection (SPLT) (overlap SPLT). It evaluated the effectiveness and short-term outcomes of this novel method through a comparative analysis with the established functional end-to-end (FETE) E-J incorporating SPLT.

METHODS

From September 2018 to September 2023, this study enrolled 68 patients with gastric cancer who underwent TLTG with overlap SPLT anastomosis and 120 patients who underwent TLTG with FETE SPLT anastomosis. Clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical and postoperative outcomes data for overlap SPLT cases were gathered and retrospectively compared with those from FETE SPLT TLTG to evaluate the effectiveness and clinical safety.

RESULTS

The duration of anastomosis for overlap SPLT was 25.3 ± 7.4 minutes, significantly longer than that for the FETE SPLT (18.1 ± 4.0 minutes, P = .031). Perioperatively, 1 anastomosis-related complication occurred in each group, but this did not constitute a statistically significant difference (P = .682). No statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of operative time, postoperative hospital stay, operative cost, surgical margins, or number of lymph nodes removed. Postoperative morbidity rates were similar between the groups (4.4% vs 5.8%, P = .676).

CONCLUSION

The overlap SPLT technique is regarded as a safe and feasible method for anastomosis. There were no apparent differences in complications between overlap SPLT and FETE SPLT, but overlap SPLT costed 1 additional stapler cartridge and required a longer duration.

Comparison of short-term and long-term clinical effects of modified overlap anastomosis and conventional incision-assisted anastomosis in laparoscopic total gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

To compare short-term and long-term clinical effects of modified overlap anastomosis and conventional incision-assisted anastomosis for laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients with gastric cancer admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2016 to March 2020. Quality of life, intraoperative and postoperative conditions were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the conventional assisted group, the modified overlap group showed a shorter auxiliary incision, milder postoperative pain, shorter time to the first postoperative anal exhaust, shorter time to the first postoperative liquid food intake, and shorter postoperative stay. There were no differences between the two groups regarding operation time, esophagus-jejunum anastomosis time, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes dissected, and length of the upper incision margin. There were no differences between the two groups regarding postoperative early and late complications. There were no differences between the two groups regarding the QLQ-C30 scale three years after the operation. The scores of the QLQ-STO22 scale 3 years after the operation showed significantly lower scores for dysphagia and feeding limit in the modified overlap group than those in the conventional assisted anastomosis group. There was no recurrence in the modified overlap group but one patient in the conventional assisted group.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy with modified overlap anastomosis have better minimal invasiveness and faster post-operative recovery than conventional incision-assisted anastomosis.

Short-term outcomes of different esophagojejunal anastomotic techniques during laparoscopic total gastrectomy: a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Different techniques have been described for esophagojejunostomy (EJ) during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer. Linear stapled techniques include overlap (OL) and functional end-to-end anastomosis (FEEA) while single staple technique (SST), hemi-double staple technique (HDST), and OrVil® are circular stapled approaches. Nowadays, the choice among techniques for EJ depends on operating surgeon personal preference.

PURPOSE

To compare short-term outcomes of different EJ techniques during LTG.

METHODS

Systematic review and network meta-analysis. OL, FEEA, SST, HDST, and OrVil® were compared. Primary outcomes were anastomotic leak (AL) and stenosis (AS). Risk ratio (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were used as pooled effect size measures, whereas 95% credible intervals (CrI) were used to measure relative inference.

RESULTS

Overall, 3177 patients (20 studies) were included. The technique for EJ was SST (n = 1026; 32.9%), OL (n = 826; 26.5%), FEEA (n = 752; 24.1%), OrVil® (n = 317; 10.1%), and HDST (n = 196; 6.4%). AL was comparable for OL vs. FEEA (RR = 0.82; 95% CrI 0.47-1.49), OL vs. SST (RR = 0.55; 95% CrI 0.27-1.21), OL vs. OrVil® (RR = 0.54; 95% CrI 0.32-1.22), and OL vs. HDST (RR = 0.65; 95% CrI 0.28-1.63). Similarly, AS was similar for OL vs. FEEA (RR = 0.46; 95% CrI 0.18-1.28), OL vs. SST (RR = 0.89; 95% CrI 0.39-2.15), OL vs. OrVil® (RR = 0.36; 95% CrI 0.14-1.02), and OL vs. HDST (RR = 0.61; 95% CrI 0.31-1.21). Anastomotic bleeding, time to soft diet resumption, pulmonary complications, hospital length of stay, and mortality were comparable while operative time was reduced for FEEA.

CONCLUSIONS

This network meta-analysis shows similar postoperative AL and AS risk when comparing OL, FEEA, SST, HDST, and OrVil® techniques. Similarly, no differences were found for anastomotic bleeding, operative time, soft diet resumption, pulmonary complications, hospital length of stay and 30-day mortality.

Linear- Versus Circular-Stapled Esophagojejunostomy During Total Gastrectomy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: While numerous techniques have been defined for esophagojejunostomy (EJ) during total gastrectomy including hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses, mechanical linear-stapled (LS) and circular-stapled (CS) anastomoses are widely adopted. However, there are scarce data on the optimal stapled technique for EJ during total gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and PubMed were investigated up to October 30, 2022. We considered articles that appraised short-term outcomes after LS versus CS anastomosis in patients undergoing total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Anastomotic leak (AL), anastomotic stricture (AS), and anastomotic bleeding (AB) were primary outcomes. Risk ratio (RR) and standardized mean difference (SMD) were used as pooled effect size measures, whereas 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to calculate related inference. Results: Sixteen studies (3156 patients) were incorporated. Overall, 1540 (48.8%) underwent CS, whereas 1616 (51.2%) underwent LS. Compared with CS, LS was related to a condensed RR for AS (RR: 0.27; 95% CI 0.15-0.49; P < .01), whereas no differences were found for AL (RR: 0.75; 95% CI 0.51-1.10; P = .14) and AB (RR: 0.59; 95% CI 0.24-1.44; P = .25). Postoperative pneumonia (RR: 0.98; P = .94), operative time (SMD: 0.51; P = .31), days to soft diet (SMD: -0.08; P = .36), hospital stay (SMD: 0.19; P = .46), and 30-day mortality (RR: 1.76; P = .31) were comparable between LS and CS. Conclusions: For EJ during total gastrectomy, our results suggest that LS seems related to a reduced risk of AS compared with CS, although no significant differences were found for the risk of AL and AB between the two techniques. Clinical Trial Registration number: CRD42022381221.

Utility of robotic surgery for Siewert type II/III adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction: transhiatal robotic versus laparoscopic approach

BACKGROUND

Robotic surgery (RS) has been rapidly adopted for gastric cancer and adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). However, the utility of RS for Siewert type II/III AEG remains unclear.

METHODS

Forty-one patients who underwent either transhiatal RS (n = 15) or laparoscopic surgery (LS) (n = 26) for Siewert type II/III AEG were enrolled in this study. The surgical outcomes of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

In the entire cohort, there were no significant intergroup differences in the operative time, blood loss volume, or number of retrieved lymph nodes. The length of the postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the RS group than in the LS group (14.20 ± 7.10 days vs. 18.73 ± 17.82 days, respectively; p = 0.0388). The morbidity rate (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 2) was similar between the groups. In the Siewert II cohort, there were no significant intergroup differences in short-term outcomes. In the entire cohort, there was no significant difference between the RS and LS groups in the 3-year overall survival rate (91.67% vs. 91.48%, N.S.) or 3-year disease-free survival rate (91.67% vs. 91.78%, N.S.), respectively. Likewise, in the Siewert type II cohort, there was no significant difference between the RS and LS groups in the 3-year overall survival rate (80.00% vs. 93.33%, N.S.) or 3-year disease-free survival rate (80.00% vs. 94.12%, N.S.), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Transhiatal RS for Siewert II/III AEG was safe and contributed to similar short-term and long-term outcomes compared with LS.

The application of enhanced recovery after surgery in total gastrectomy: a propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of our enhanced recovery after surgery protocol including early oral intake and omitting nasogastric tube (NGT) placement after total gastrectomy.

METHODS

We analyzed 182 consecutive patients who underwent total gastrectomy. The clinical pathway was changed in 2015, and patients were divided into 2 groups (conventional group and modified group). Postoperative complications, bowel movement, and postoperative hospital stays were compared in the two groups in all cases and propensity score matching (PSM).

RESULTS

Flatus and defecation were significantly earlier in the modified group compared with those in the conventional group (flatus: 2 (1-5) days vs 3 (2-12) days, p = 0.03; defecation: 4 (1-14) days vs 6 (2-12) days p = 0.04). The postoperative hospital stay was 18 (6-90) days in the conventional group and 14 (7-74) days in the modified group (p = 0.009). Days until discharge criteria were met were earlier in the modified group compared with that in the conventional group (10 (7-69) days vs 14 (6-84) days p = 0.01). Overall and severe complications occurred in nine patients (12.6%) and three patients (4.2%) in the conventional group and twelve patients (10.8%) and four patients (3.6%) in the modified group, respectively (p = 0.70 and p = 0.83) in all cases. In PSM, there is no significant difference between the two groups concerning the postoperative complications (overall complication 6 (12.5%) vs 8 (16.7%) p = 0.56, severe complications 1 (2%) vs 2 (4.2%) p = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

Modified ERAS for total gastrectomy may be feasible and safe.

Safety and Efficacy of OGT-Assisted Overlap Oesophagojejunostomy Versus the Traditional Overlap Method in Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy for Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction (G/GEJ) Tumours

INTRODUCTION

Overlap guiding tube (OGT)-assisted overlap oesophagojejunostomy (EJS), which was first designed and reported by our team, has shown feasibility. However, its safety and efficiency have not yet been compared with the conventional overlap approach.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the data of 155 gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy by conventional (conventional group, n = 83) or OGT-assisted (OGT group, n = 72) overlap methods at Nanfang Hospital. The anastomotic efficiency and surgical outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The success rate of inserting an anvil fork into the oesophageal lumen at the first attempt in the OGT group was much higher than in the conventional group (86.7% vs. 97.2%, P = 0.019). Consistently, the duration of EJS (P < 0.001) in the OGT group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional group. Operatively, there was one case in which oesophageal pseudocanals developed; another case was converted to thoracoscopic surgery in the conventional group, but there were no such cases in the OGT group. In terms of postoperative recovery, the OGT group was superior to the conventional group. The incidence of postoperative complications (28.9% vs. 20.8%, P = 0.247) and the classification of complication severity (P = 0.450) were milder in the OGT group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Notably, the conventional group had four cases (4.8%) of oesophagojejunal anastomotic leakage (EJAL) and one case (1.2%) of anastomotic stenosis. In the OGT group, two patients (2.8%) developed EJAL, but none developed anastomotic stenosis or anastomotic bleeding. Neither group had any cases of unplanned secondary surgery or perioperative deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

The OGT-assisted method reduced the surgical difficulty of overlap EJS with good safety. This study provides new perspectives for optimizing EJS.

Double stapling technique versus hemi-double stapling technique for esophagojejunostomy with OrVil™ after laparoscopic total gastrectomy: a single-blind, randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The transorally inserted anvil (OrVil™) is frequently selected for esophagojejunostomy after laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) because of its versatility. During anastomosis with OrVil™, the double stapling technique (DST) or hemi-double stapling technique (HDST) can be selected by overlapping the linear stapler and the circular stapler. However, no studies have reported the differences between the methods and their clinical significance.

METHODS

A randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel assignment and single-blind outcomes assessment analysis was conducted. Patients with gastric cancer eligible for LTG who met the selection criteria were randomized. Preoperative characteristics and perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared between the DST and HDST. The primary endpoint was an anastomosis-related complication, and the secondary endpoints were perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications, excluding anastomosis-related complications.

RESULTS

Thirty patients with gastric cancer were eligible and randomized. LTG and esophagojejunostomy were successfully performed in all patients, without conversion to laparotomy. Preoperative characteristics, excluding preoperative chemotherapy, were not significantly different between the two groups. One anastomotic leakage of Clavien-Dindo classification grade ≥ IIIa was observed in the DST, although no significant difference was found between the two groups (6.6% vs. 0%, P = 0.30). In the HDST, one case of anastomotic stricture required endoscopic balloon dilation. No significant differences were found in operative time, whereas the anastomosis time was significantly shorter in the HDST than in the DST (47.5 ± 15.8 vs. 38.2 ± 8.8 min, P = 0.028). Except for anastomosis-related complications, postoperative complications (P = 0.282) and postoperative hospital stay for the DST and HDST were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

No superiority was found between the DST and HDST with OrVil™ in esophagojejunostomy of LTG for gastric cancer with respect to postoperative complications, whereas the HDST may be preferable in terms of the simplicity of the surgical technique.

Comparison Between Linear Stapler and Circular Stapler After Laparoscopic-Assisted Distal Gastrectomy in Patients With Gastric Cancer

Background and Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopy distal gastrectomy using a linear stapler compared with a circular stapler in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 173 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer at a single center from January 2018 to December 2020. Patients were categorized into the linear stapler group and the circular stapler group. General data, intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, postoperative pathological results, postoperative complications, and postoperative follow-up in the two groups were compared and analyzed.

Results

The operation time (208.76 ± 32.92 vs. 226.69 ± 26.92 min, p &lt; 0.05), anastomosis time (71.87 ± 9.50 vs. 90.56 ± 3.18 min, p &lt; 0.05), time to first flatus (68.60 ± 25.96 vs. 76.16 ± 21.05 h, p &lt; 0.05), time to the first sip of water (3.66 ± 0.61 vs. 4.07 ± 0.77 days, p &lt; 0.05), and time to the first liquid diet (4.43 ± 1.02 vs. 5.03 ± 1.70 days, p &lt; 0.05) were significantly shorter in the linear stapler group. In addition, the highest postoperative body temperature within 3 days (37.4 ± 0.61 vs. 37.7 ± 0.61, p &lt; 0.05) after the operation, white blood cell count (WBC) on the 3rd day (9.07 ± 2.52 vs. 10.01 ± 2.98 × 10∧9/L, p &lt; 0.05), and average gastric tube drainage within 3 days (36.65 ± 24.57 vs. 52.61 ± 37 ml, p &lt; 0.05) were also significantly lower in the linear stapler group.

Conclusions

Both circular and linear staplers are safe and feasible for gastrointestinal reconstruction in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. In contrast, a linear stapler has advantages over a circular stapler in shortening operation time and accelerating the postoperative recovery of patients.

Circular versus linear stapling oesophagojejunostomy after laparoscopic total gastrectomy. A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To assess which anastomosis technique is the most appropriate after laparoscopic total gastrectomy, a systematic review with meta-analysis has been performed to evaluate safety and efficacy of the linear versus circular stapler performing the oesophagojejunostomy.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed using the string: total AND gastrectomy AND (circular OR linear OR stapler). Extracted data were patients' number, gender, age, BMI, ASA Score, tumor stage. Outcomes were leakages, stenoses and bleedings, number of overall anastomotic complications, mortality, operative time, time to first flatus and diet resumption and length of stay of each group. A meta-analysis among the included studies was performed. A subgroup analysis, including the studies in which the Authors considered a single technique to perform each type of anastomosis (LS and CS), was performed. Meta-regression analyses were performed to assess if one or more demographic and clinical variables significantly impacted on the obtained results.

RESULTS

12 articles were included in the final analysis. A significant difference was observed in terms of "overall anastomotic complications" in favour of linear stapling (RD = 0.06, p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed in terms of postoperative complications anastomosis-related, even if a trend towards advantages of linear stapling have been found (stenosis: RD = 0.04, p = 0.06; bleeding: RD = 0.02, p = 0.05). However, all the study was retrospective and there was high heterogeneity among the studies.

CONCLUSION

Linear stapler seems to be related with lesser number of complication if compared with circular stapler. However, further high-quality studies are needed to obtain definitive conclusions.

Application value of overlap guiding tube (OGT) in assisting overlap esophagojejunostomy during laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) tumors

BACKGROUND

The overlap guiding tube (OGT) method, which was designed by our team to assist in overlap esophagojejunostomy, could potentially provide new perspectives for esophagojejunostomy. The application of the OGT-assisted method was first explored by our team and has not yet been reported.

METHODS

This cohort study analyzed the 3 month outcomes of 38 gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) tumor patients who underwent OGT-assisted overlap esophagojejunostomy.

RESULTS

There were 27 males and 11 females, aged 40-82 years. All patients underwent surgery successfully. The success rate of inserting anvil fork into esophageal lumen at first attempt was 97.4%. The total operation time, esophagojejunostomy time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, and length of surgical incision were 317.6 ± 51.5 min, 20.8 ± 3.8 min, 50.0 (range 15.0-200.0) ml, and 5.0 (range 4.0-8.0) cm, respectively. No procedures were converted to other laparoscopic anastomosis techniques or open approaches. The time to postoperative initial flatus, liquid diet intake, soft diet intake, and length of postoperative hospital stay were 3.0 (range 1.0-6.0) days, 4.0 (range 2.0-9.0)days, 6.0 (range 3.0-11.0) days, and 8.5 (range 6.0-16.0) days, respectively. Overall, postoperative complications were observed in 8 (21.1%) patients. Among them, one patients developed esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage. After 3 months of follow-up, none of the patients developed anastomotic stenosis or experienced unplanned secondary surgery or perioperative death.

CONCLUSIONS

OGT-assisted overlap esophagojejunostomy for patients with G/GEJ tumors is safe and feasible, with good short-term effects. OGT method has a satisfactory success rate of inserting anvil fork into esophageal lumen at first attempt and could prevent from developing esophageal submucosa pseudocanals.

Digestive tract reconstruction options after laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer

In addition to the popularity of laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), many reconstructive procedures after LG have been reported. Surgical resection and lymphatic dissection determine long-term survival; however, the election of a reconstruction procedure determines the postoperative quality of life for patients with gastric cancer (GC). Presently, no consensus exists regarding the optimal reconstructive procedure. In this review, the current state of digestive tract reconstruction after LG is reviewed. According to the determining influence of the tumor site on the procedures of surgical resection and reconstruction, we divide these reconstruction procedures into three categories consistent with the resection procedures. We focus on the technical tips of every reconstruction procedure and examine the surgical outcomes (length of surgery and blood loss) and postoperative complications (anastomotic leakage and stricture) to facilitate gastrointestinal surgeons to understand the merits and demerits of every reconstruction procedure.

Comparison of the safety and efficacy between linear stapler and circular stapler in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Total gastrectomy is often recommended for upper body gastric cancer, and totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TLTG) is deemed to be a promising surgical method with the well-known advantages such as less invasion and fast recovery. However, the anastomosis between oesophagus and jejunum is the difficulty of TLTG. Although staplers have promoted the development of TLTG, the choice of suitable staplers to complete oesophagojejunostomy is controversial and unclear. Therefore, a higher level of research evidence is needed to compare the two types of staplers in terms of safety and efficacy for oesophagojejunostomy in TLTG among patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Databases will be comprehensively searched from January 1990 to July 2019. All eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs or observational studies comparing the two types of staplers will be included. A meta-analysis will be performed using Review Manager V.5.3 software to compare the safety and efficacy of linear and circular staplers for oesophagojejunostomy in TLTG. The primary outcomes are anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, anastomotic haemorrhage. The secondary outcomes include time to first instance of passing gas after surgery, first feeding time, total operation time, reconstruction time, estimated blood loss. The heterogeneity of this study will be assessed by p values and I² statistic. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses will be used to explore and explain the heterogeneity. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane tool or the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval will not be required because this proposed systematic review and meta-analysis is based on previously published data, which does not include intervention data on patients. The findings of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at a relevant congress.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42018111680.

Current status of laparoscopic total gastrectomy

In this article, the current state of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) was reviewed, focusing on lymph node dissection and reconstruction. Lymph node dissection in LTG is technically similar to that in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer; however, LTG for advanced gastric cancer requires extended lymph node dissections including splenic hilar lymph nodes. Although a recent randomized controlled trial clearly indicated no survival benefit in prophylactic splenectomy for lymph node dissection at the splenic hilum, some patients may receive prognostic benefit from adequate splenic hilar lymph node dissection. Considering reconstruction, there are two major esophagojejunostomy (EJS) techniques, using a circular stapler (CS) or using a linear stapler (LS). A few studies have shown that the LS method has fewer complications; however, almost all studies have reported that morbidity (such as anastomotic leakage and stricture) is not significantly different for the two methods. As for CS, we grouped various studies addressing complications in LTG into categories according to the insertion procedure of the anvil and the insertion site in the abdominal wall for the CS. We compared the rate of complications, particularly for leakage and stricture. The rate of anastomotic leakage and stricture was the lowest when inserting the CS from the upper left abdomen and was significantly the highest when inserting the CS from the midline umbilical. Scrupulous attention to EJS techniques is required by surgeons with a clear understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each anastomotic device and approach.