Robotic Surgery in Gastrointestinal Surgery

Robotic surgery is an emerging technology. After adoption of robotic surgery for cholecystectomy in 1997, various general surgical procedures have been performed using surgical robot. In general surgery, robotic surgery is applied to wide range of procedures, however, it is still in its early years. Cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication, Heller myotomy, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are the most frequently performed robotic operations. Most reports proved that application of robotic technology for general surgery is technically feasible and safe with the help of improved dexterity, better visualization, and high level of precision. However, still the absence of tactile sense and extremely high costs are the problems to be solved. Although robotic surgery has demonstrated some clear benefits compared to conventional surgeries including laparoscopy, it remains to be seen whether these benefits will outweigh the associated disadvantages or problems of robot surgery. Therefore, more prospective randomized study comparing the shot-term and long-term surgical outcomes between robotic and conventional laparoscopic surgery is needed to further define the impact of robotic surgical technology in general surgery.ope

Early experience of laparoscopic resection and comparison with open surgery for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a multicenter retrospective study

The advantages of laparoscopic resection over open surgery in the treatment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) are not conclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative and oncologic outcome of laparoscopic resection for gastric GIST, compared to open surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively collected database of 1019 patients with gastric GIST after surgical resection at 13 Korean and 2 Japanese institutions. The surgical and oncologic outcomes were compared between laparoscopic and open group, through 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). The laparoscopic group (N = 318) had a lower rate of overall complications (3.5% vs. 7.9%, P = 0.024) and wound complications (0.6% vs. 3.1%, P = 0.037), shorter hospitalization days (6.68 ± 4.99 vs. 8.79 ± 6.50, P < 0.001) than the open group (N = 318). The superiority of the laparoscopic approach was also demonstrated in patients with tumors larger than 5 cm, and at unfavorable locations. The recurrence-free survival was not different between the two groups, regardless of tumor size, locational favorableness, and risk classifications. Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor size larger than 5 cm, higher mitotic count, R1 resection, and tumor rupture during surgery were independent risk factors for recurrence. Laparoscopic surgery provides lower rates of complications and shorter hospitalizations for patients with gastric GIST than open surgeryope

Robotic surgery for gastric cancer

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gastric cancer has been gaining popularity. Although many surgeons have reported the feasibility of MIS for gastric cancer, difficulties in standard lymph node dissection and anastomoses during laparoscopic procedures have hindered the widespread use of this technique. To overcome these difficulties, a robotic system has been adopted and its feasibility and safety have been shown. However, robotic surgery for gastric cancer has shown few definite advantages over conventional laparoscopy so far. In addition, longer operation time and much higher cost for this procedure are consistently noted. Recently, some retrospective comparative studies have reported benefits of robotic surgery over laparoscopic gastrectomy such as more complete D2 lymph node dissection for advanced gastric cancer, less blood loss, and shorter learning curves. For the wider spread of robotic surgery for gastric cancer, well designed studies are required to verify patients' secondary advantages, the cost benefit trade-off, and oncologic outcomes.ope

위절제술 후에 간의 제4분절에서 발생한 간전이를 닮은 국소 지방 침윤: 두 증례 보고

We present two cases of focal fat deposition developed at the posterior area of the segment IV in the liver, following gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. There was no focal lesion in this area of the liver at preoperative computed tomography (CT) in both cases, and the aberrant right gastric vein (ARGV) was found on the retrospective review of this CT. After gastrectomy, a focal, low-attenuating lesion was developed in this area on a follow-up CT in both cases, which was confirmed as a focal fat deposition, by other imaging studies. In addition to its typical imaging findings, confirmation of the presence of the ARGV also supported this lesion to be a focal fat deposition. Furthermore, understanding of our cases may be of help to prevent us from unnecessary invasive procedures, such as liver biopsy.ope

근치적 위절제술 후 발생한 재발성 소장폐색증의 복강경 유착박리술

Purpose: Laparoscopic surgery for patients with a prior history of a radical gastrectomy has been considered a relative contraindication because of severe adhesion. Many surgeons prefer conservative management for a small bowel obstruction (SBO) after gastric cancer surgery for fear that more adhesion could occur after an open adhesiolysis. We report our initial experience of laparoscopic adhesiolysis (LA) for recurrent SBO after gastric cancer surgery. Methods: This study performed a retrospective examination of 11 patients who underwent LA for a recurrent SBO after gastric cancer surgery between March 2005 and October 2005. Those with a SBO due to cancer recurrence or metastasis were excluded. Results: The mean duration for LA after the gastrectomy was 46 months (range: 8～166 months). In all patients, LA was successfully performed without an open conversion. The mean operation time was 77 minutes (range: 45～110 minutes). None of the patients required a bowel resection. There were two postoperative complications; one peritoneal abscess due to leakage and one wound infection, which were all treated conservatively. The mean hospital stay after surgery was 5.0 days (range: 4～7 days) for patients without complications. Ten out of 11 patients showed weight loss after the gastrectomy. The mean weight loss was 12.9 kg (range: 5～24 kg). Among those 11 patients, 9 patients gained weight with a mean increase of 3.7 kg (range: 1～6 kg), 1 patient lost weight due to periampullary cancer and 1 patient showed no change in weight. None of the patients suffered from a SBO after LA during the mean follow up period of 14 months (range: 9～16 months). Conclusion: Although the initial experience of LA was small, LA can be applied safely and effectively for patients with a recurrent SBO after a radical gastrectomy.ope

Advantages of Splenic Hilar Lymph Node Dissection in Proximal Gastric Cancer Surgery

Gastrectomy with lymph node dissection remains the gold standard for curative treatment of gastric cancer. Dissection of splenic hilar lymph nodes has been included as a part of D2 lymph node dissection for proximal gastric cancer. Previously, pancreatico-splenectomy has been performed for dissecting splenic hilar lymph nodes, followed by pancreas-preserving splenectomy and spleen-preserving lymphadenectomy. However, the necessity of routine splenectomy or splenic hilar lymph node dissection has been under debate due to the increased morbidity caused by splenectomy and the poor prognostic feature of splenic hilar lymph node metastasis. In contrast, the relatively high incidence of splenic hilar lymph node metastasis, survival advantage, and therapeutic value of splenic hilar lymph node dissection in some patient subgroups, as well as the effective use of novel technologies, still supports the necessity and applicability of splenic hilar lymph node dissection. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the need for splenic hilar lymph node dissection and suggest the subgroup of patients with favorable outcomes.ope

Local complications are related to poor long-term outcome in patients undergoing curative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer

Purpose: The present study was performed to investigate the effects of local complications (LC) on long-term survival and cancer recurrence in patients undergoing curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: We analyzed 2,627 patients after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2001 and December 2006. Patients were classified into groups no complications (NC), LC, or systemic complications (SC). Results: Among the 2,627 patients, 475 patients developed complications (LC group [n=374, 14.2%] and SC group [n=101, 3.9%]). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was significantly poorer in the LC group compared to the NC and SC groups (LC, 78.0%; NC, 85.4%; SC, 80.2%; P=0.007). The occurrence of LC was identified as a significant independent prognostic factor for overall and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46-2.97; P=0.001 and HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.12-2.81; P=0.015). The tumor recurrence rates were higher in the LC group than the in other two groups (LC, 23.5%; NC, 15.4%; SC, 15.8%; P<0.001). The occurrence of LC was an independent predictor of tumor recurrence in patients undergoing curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.11-2.17; P=0.011). Conclusion: LC are associated with adverse long-term outcomes in patients after curative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer.ope

Robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: Current evidence

The robotic system has gained wide acceptance in specialties such as urological and gynecological surgery. It has also been applied in the field of upper gastrointestinal surgery. Since the first implementation of the robotic system for the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma, the procedure has been found to be safe and feasible. Although robotic gastrectomy does not meet our expectations and yield better results than laparoscopic gastrectomy, this procedure seems to provide several advantages over laparoscopy such as reduced blood loss, shorter learning curves and increased number of retrieved lymph nodes. However, as many case series, including a recent multicenter study, have revealed, higher cost and longer operation time are the major limitations of robotic gastrectomy. Furthermore, there are no results from well-designed randomized clinical trials comparing the two procedures. New procedures in much more technically demanding cases will test the genuine benefits of robotic gastrectomy.ope

Safety of Laparoscopic Sentinel Basin Dissection in Patients with Gastric Cancer: an Analysis from the SENORITA Prospective Multicenter Quality Control Trial.

Purpose: We investigated complications after laparoscopic sentinel basin dissection (SBD) for patients with gastric cancer who were enrolled in a quality control study, prior to the phase III trial of sentinel lymph node navigation surgery (SNNS). Materials and Methods: We analyzed prospective data from a Korean multicenter prerequisite quality control trial of laparoscopic SBD for gastric cancer and assessed procedure-related and surgical complications. All complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo Classification (CDC) system and were compared with the results of the previously published SNNS trial. Results: Among the 108 eligible patients who were enrolled in the quality control trial, 8 (7.4%) experienced complications during the early postoperative period. One patient with gastric resection-related duodenal stump leakage recovered after percutaneous drainage (grade IIIa in CDC). The other postoperative complications were mild and patients recovered with supportive care. No complications were directly related to the laparoscopic SBD procedure or tracer usage, and there were no mortalities. The laparoscopic SBD complication rates and patterns that were observed in this study were comparable to those of a previously reported trial. Conclusions: The results of our prospective, multicenter quality control trial demonstrate that laparoscopic SBD is a safe procedure during SNNS for gastric cancer.ope

Long-Term Surgical Outcome of 1057 Gastric GISTs According to 7th UICC/AJCC TNM System: Multicenter Observational Study From Korea and Japan

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment and prognosis of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) according to the 7th UICC/AJCC tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) system and the modified National Institutes of Health (NIH) risk classification. The study cohort consisted of 1057 patients with gastric GIST who underwent surgery between January 2000 and December 2007 from 13 institutions in Korea and 2 in Japan. Clinicopathologic characteristics, surgical outcomes, recurrence, and 5-year recurrence-free survival were evaluated.The mean age of the patients was 58.6 years. Thirty patients (2.8%) had distant metastasis preoperatively. Median tumor size was 4.0 cm. Complete resection (R0 resection) was achieved in 1018 patients (96.3%). Eighty-six patients (8.1%) had postoperative complications, and 2 patients (0.2%) died within 30 days after surgery. According to the 7th UICC/AJCC TNM system, 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 95% to 99% in stage I, 94.1% in stage II, 74.1% in stage IIIA, 48.6% in stage IIIB, and 50.0% in stage IV patients. On survival analysis of high-risk patients according to the TNM system, the 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 91.6% in stage II, 74.1% in stage IIIA, and 48.6% in stage IIIB patients. Independent factors of recurrence following surgery for gastric GIST were gender, tumor size, mitotic count, and radicality on multivariate analysis.The treatment outcome and prognosis of gastric GIST in Korea and Japan seem more favorable compared to those in Western countries. Compared to the modified NIH risk classification, the 7th UICC/AJCC TNM system is more reflective of the 5-year recurrence-free survival of patients with gastric GIST.ope