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Despite the increasing incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction, laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with lower esophagectomy (PGLE) is not widely accepted owing to the lack of standardized reconstruction techniques. In this study, we developed a new reconstruction method named y-shaped overlap esophagogastric tube reconstruction, which reproduces an angle of His and a pseudo-fornix, to be used in laparoscopic transhiatal PGLE. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of this novel reconstruction method.This retrospective study included the analysis of short- and mid-term surgical outcomes of 30 consecutive patients with Siewert type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma who underwent laparoscopic PGLE with y-shaped overlap esophagogastric tube reconstruction from April 2015 to August 2020. A novel method was used to form a 6-cm pseudo-fornix and an angle of His using the distal esophagus and a long gastric tube.The median operation time was 369 min, and the median blood loss was 28 mL. The median follow-up period after surgery was 37 months. Although two patients experienced postoperative anastomotic leakage, none of the patients developed stenosis. One patient experienced moderate reflux symptoms, whereas four patients developed moderate reflux esophagitis based on the 1-year follow-up endoscopic examination; the condition of all patients could be efficiently controlled with medication.The short- and mid-term surgical outcomes of y-shaped overlap esophagogastric tube reconstruction reflected the feasibility of this simple technique and suggested its potential utility as a reconstruction alternative for Siewert type II tumors.

Rectal or anal canal adenocarcinoma with inguinal lymph node metastasis (ILNM) is rare and is associated with poor prognostic outcomes. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical significance of neoadjuvant therapy followed by selective inguinal lymph node dissection and total mesorectal excision for rectal or anal canal adenocarcinoma with clinically suspected ILNM.This study enrolled 15 consecutive patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and curative resection for rectal or anal canal adenocarcinoma with clinically suspected ILNM between 2005 and 2019 at a single institution. Inguinal lymph node dissection was selectively performed on the side of suspected metastasis before neoadjuvant therapy. Short- and long-term outcomes were retrospectively reviewed.Out of the15 patients, 11 were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation, three with chemotherapy, and one with chemoradiation followed by chemotherapy. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed after neoadjuvant therapy in 14 patients. Five patients had negative FDG accumulation in inguinal lymph nodes on FDG-PET scan, and their inguinal lymph nodes were also pathologically negative for metastasis. Of the nine patients who had positive FDG accumulation, four had pathologically positive inguinal lymph nodes. Seven patients (46.7%) had inguinal seroma postoperatively. Five-year-overall survival was 77.5%, and 5-year-relapse-free survival was 64.2%. No patient had a recurrence in the inguinal region.In patients with rectal or anal canal adenocarcinoma associated with clinical ILNM, radical resection with neoadjuvant therapy provides a good long-term survival.

Purpose Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been increasingly used, but many reports have stated that recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy after MIE is a major complication associated with postoperative pneumonia. Prevention of RLN palsy clearly has been a challenging task. The study aim was to determine if a three-dimensional (3-D) stereoscopic vision system can reduce the RLN palsy rate after MIE. Methods This was a retrospective study of MIE (McKeown esophagectomy) using a 3-D or 2-D stereoscopic vision system to treat 358 patients in the prone position between April 2010 and March 2019. The patients who underwent 3-D MIE (3-D group) or 2-D MIE (2-D group) were matched by using propensity score matching. After matching, the perioperative outcomes were compared between the groups. Results After propensity score matching, 154 patients were analyzed (77 patients, 3-D group; 77 patients, 2-D group). There were no significant differences in the patients’baseline characteristics in the matched cohort. There were no significant differences in the rates of pneumonia (Clavien–Dindo (C–D) grade ≥ II, 3-D vs. 2-D, 11 (14%) vs. 12 (16%)), anastomotic leakage (C–D grade ≥ II, 10 (13%) vs. 18 (23%)) and mortality. The rates of left RLN palsy (C–D grade ≥ IIIa, 1 (1.3%) vs. 7 (9.1%), P = 0.029), right RLN palsy (C–D grade ≥ I, 2 (3%) vs. 8 (10%), P = 0.049), comprehensive complication index (CCI®) (8.5 vs. 14.3, P = 0.011), and postoperative hospital stay period (median: 25 vs. 30 days, P = 0.034) were significantly lower in the 3-D group than in the 2-D group, respectively. Conclusions In MIE, the 3-D viewing system was one of the factors that reduced postoperative morbidities such as the rates of each RLN palsy and CCI®, leading to shorter postoperative hospital stay.

We conducted a prospective clinical control study to identify the best imaging technology among three-dimensional (3-D) high-definition (HD) stereovision and two-dimensional (2-D) ultra-high-resolution (4 K) technology and confirm their effects on surgical outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. From April 2018 to August 2019, 50 patients were randomly classified into two groups based on the imaging technology (3-D/HD group = 25, 2-D/4 K = 25). After excluding eight patients based on laparoscopic findings, 42 patients were analyzed (3-D/HD group = 21, 2-D/4 K = 21). The primary endpoint was the operative time; the secondary endpoints were blood loss, postoperative infectious complications, and postoperative hospital stay. The patients’ backgrounds were similar (sex, age, body mass index [BMI], stage, procedure, and extent of lymph node dissection). There were no significant differences in operative time (252 vs. 238 min, P = 0.70), total blood loss, postoperative infectious complications, and postoperative hospital stay between the two groups. However, video analysis of surgeries revealed a significantly shortened median operative time (18 vs. 25 min, P = 0.04) in the suturing step with 3-D/HD; the median number of camera cleaning procedures during suprapancreatic lymph node dissection was significantly lower with 2-D/4 K than with 3-D/HD (n = 4.4 vs. 2.8, P = 0.02). 3-D/HD and 2-D/4 K laparoscopic radical gastrectomies provide similar surgical outcomes. However, the 3-D monitor reduces suturing time during reconstruction, while the 4 K monitor reduces the number of camera cleaning procedures during lymphadenectomy. Registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (identification number 000029227).

Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy is regarded as the only curative option for resectable esophageal cancer, but it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) management was recently associated with improved outcomes after surgery for esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of standardizing procedures for minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in the MDT setting. This was a case-matched control study of 154 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position (TEP) between 2012 and 2016. Surgery was performed by two attending surgeons (surgeons A and B) who began working together in the same MDT in 2015. At that time, the following surgical procedures were standardized between surgeons A and B: mediastinal lymphadenectomy, abdominal procedures, and estimation of the blood supply of the gastric conduit. Short-term outcomes were compared between the following paired groups using propensity scores: surgeon A’s pre- and post-standardization groups, surgeon B’s pre- and post-standardization groups, and surgeon A’s post-standardization group and surgeon B’s post-standardization group. Concerning surgeon A, the estimated total blood loss in the post-standardization group (142 ± 87 mL) was significantly lower than that in the pre-standardization group (376 ± 215 mL, P = 0.006). The rate of left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in the post-standardization group (13%) was significantly lower than that in the pre-standardization group (47%, P = 0.046). Concerning surgeon B, the rate of anastomotic leakage in the post-standardization group (0%) was significantly lower than that in the pre-standardization group (11%, P = 0.039). Comparing the post-standardization groups of surgeons A and B, there were no significant differences in operative outcomes or morbidity. Standardizing procedures for MIE improved and homogenized surgical short-term outcomes.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has less morbidity than the open approach. In particular, thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position (TEP) has been performed worldwide. Using the cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) method, this study aimed to confirm whether a trainee surgeon who learned established standards would become skilled in TEP with a shorter learning curve than that of the mentoring surgeon. Surgeon A performed TEP in 100 patients; the first 22 patients comprised period 1. His learning curve, defined based on the operation time (OT) of the thoracic procedure, was evaluated using the CUSUM method, and short-term outcomes were assessed. Another 22 patients underwent TEP performed by surgeon B, with outcomes compared to those of surgeon A’s period 1. Using the CUSUM chart, the peak point of the thoracic procedure OT occurred at the 44th case in surgeon A’s experience of 100 cases. With surgeon A’s first 22 cases (period 1), the peak point of the thoracic procedure OT could not be confirmed and graph is expanding soaring at CUSUM chart. The CUSUM chart of surgeon B’s experience of 22 cases clearly indicated that the peak point of the thoracic procedure OT occurred at the 17th case. The rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy for surgeon B (9 %) was significantly lower than for surgeon A in period 1 (36 %) (p = 0.0266). There is some possibility for a trainee surgeon to attain the required basic skills to perform TEP in a relatively short period of time using a standardized procedure developed by a mentoring surgeon. The CUSUM method should be useful in evaluating trainee competence during an initial series of procedures, by assessing the learning curve defined by OT.

In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), lymph nodes (LNs) around the subcarina and main bronchi are thought to be highly involved. Therefore, complete dissection of these LNs with preservation of the pulmonary branches of the vagus nerves, which control important pulmonary functions, is recommended. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the feasibility of reliable method for lymphadenectomy around the subcarina and main bronchi, named the medial approach, during thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position (TEP). This was a case-matched control study of patients who underwent TEP for ESCC. The fundamental concept in this method is to first exfoliate the LNs around the subcarina and main bronchi from the pericardium. Developing the operative field contributes to visualizing and preserving the pulmonary branches of the right vagus nerve. Twenty-three patients who underwent the medial approach and 23 patients who underwent the conventional approach were selected by the use of propensity score matching to compare the operative outcomes. The medial approach significantly reduced operative time for procedure (16 ± 3 vs 30 ± 6 min, p

Introduction of three-dimensional (3D) display might remove technical obstacles of laparoscopic surgery and improve laparoscopic skills. We analyzed the effect of 3D technology on operative performance during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer and assessed its advantages over two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopy. This study included 30 consecutive surgeries of LTG with esophagojejunostomy by the overlap method performed (3D group, n = 15, 2D group, n = 15). The surgical outcomes were compared between the 3D and 2D groups. Further, we compared the performance time, the frequency of bleeding requiring hemostasis, and the frequency of remaking the surgical view by the assistant’s forceps in each laparoscopic scene between the 3D and 2D groups. All surgeries were completed without any complications. The total time of pure laparoscopic scenes was shorter in the 3D than 2D group (154.2 vs. 182.7 min, P = 0.026), and total blood loss was almost the same (10 vs. 20 g, P = 0.195). The operative time during lymphadenectomy in scenes 6 and 7 were significantly shorter in the 3D than the 2D group (scene 6, 13.5 vs. 17.5 min, P = 0.003, and scene 7, 12.4 vs. 18.4, P = 0.025) and esophagojejunostomy (30.3 vs. 39.4 min, P = 0.008). The frequency of tissue exposure by the assistant was significantly less in the 3D group than the 2D group in scenes 6 and 7 (scene 6, n = 3.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.006, and scene 7, n = 3.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.017). 3D display is useful due to improvement of surgical skill during difficult situations such as lymphadenectomy around the celiac artery, which requires handling in the tangential view, and reconstruction using the suturing technique in a narrow space.

Laparoscopic lymph node (LN) dissection around the middle colic vessels is technically demanding, thus raising controversy regarding the role of laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer. We herein describe a cranial approach method to perform radical LN dissection around the middle colic vessels. The key characteristic of this approach is early division of middle colic vessels prior to mobilization of the colon. From April 2010 to September 2013, 27 patients with colon cancer received laparoscopic LN dissection around the middle colic vessels using this cranial approach. Their surgical and short-term outcomes were reviewed. The mean number of harvested LNs was 29 (range, 6–50). The mean operative time and intraoperative blood loss were 274 min (range, 160–362 min) and 42 mL (range, 3–247 mL), respectively. There were no serious intraoperative complications or conversions to open surgery. There were two patients with stage 0, 7 with stage I, 12 with stage II, and 6 with stage III. No recurrent case was observed with a median follow-up period of 30 months (range, 9–48 months). We consider this approach feasible and useful for radical LN dissection around the middle colic vessels during laparoscopic colon cancer surgery.