Reinforced Stapling Technique for Reconstruction After Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy

Purpose We outline our reinforced stapling technique for reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). We also investigated the safety and feasibility of short-term surgical outcomes of this technique for patients with gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods This is a retrospective study of 24 consecutive patients with GC who underwent reinforced stapling technique for reconstruction after LDG at our institute between 2016 and 2017. We adopted intracorporeal anastomosis, namely delta-shaped Billroth I gastroduodenostomy or Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy, using reinforced staples with polyglycolic acid sheets (Neoveil). Results No anastomosis-related complications (anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, postoperative gastrointestinal bleeding) were found in our 24 consecutive patients. Conclusions Reinforced stapling for reconstruction after LDG is a feasible and safe procedure for GC with regard to short-term surgical outcomes.