Abstract
The current standard surgical procedure for proximal gastric and gastroesophageal junction (P/GEJ) cancers with limited esophageal involvement is total gastrectomy (TG). TG is associated with impaired appetite and weight loss due to decreased levels of ghrelin (a “hunger hormone” secreted by the stomach) and with anemia due to intrinsic factor loss and vitamin B12 malabsorption. Theoretically, proximal gastrectomy (PG) with an anti-reflux technique such as double-tract reconstruction (DTR) can improve quality of life (QoL) by preserving gastric function.1 A recent Japanese prospective GEJ adenocarcinoma study reported a low incidence of lymph node metastases at peripyloric stations,2 indicating the oncological safety of PG for GEJ adenocarcinoma regardless of tumor stage. As a result, PG is increasingly performed in South Korea and Japan, although the QoL benefit of PG over TG remains unknown.3, 4 We have performed PG with DTR in select cases with satisfying short-term outcomes. In this video, we introduce our technique for robotic PG with DTR. The presented case is a 75-year-old woman with GEJ adenocarcinoma that showed an excellent response to preoperative chemoradiation therapy. The patient underwent robotic PG with DTR. Fluorescent sentinel lymphatic mapping was performed by injecting indocyanine green solution (total of 2 ml, at four quadrants around the tumor at submucosal space) via endoscopy at the beginning of the operation. It showed absence of sentinel lymphatic flow to peripyloric lymph nodes, which were thus considered safe to preserve. Pathologic examination confirmed a complete response. The patient’s recovery was favorable, and she reported satisfaction with her QoL and good appetite, though some intermittent bloating after eating. PG with DTR has theoretical disadvantages including incomplete lymph node removal, which may result in recurrence; therefore, PG should be carefully performed for P/GEJ cancers with low risk of perigastric lymph node metastases, such as cT1 tumors or GEJ tumors with limited gastric involvement.2 In addition, delayed gastric emptying of the remnant stomach can cause upper gastrointestinal symptoms such as reflux and bloating. The QoL benefits of PG with DTR must be demonstrated before encouraging its use in the USA and other countries. International collaboration is warranted to test the benefits and safety of PG, and the effective use of sentinel lymphatic mapping, to standardize the surgical care of patients with P/GEJ cancers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nunobe S, Ida S. Current status of proximal gastrectomy for gastric and esophagogastric junctional cancer: A review. Ann Gastroenterol Surg. 2020;4(5):498-504.
Kurokawa Y, Takeuchi H, Doki Y, et al. 2019, Mapping of Lymph Node Metastasis From Esophagogastric Junction Tumors: A Prospective Nationwide Multicenter Study. Annals of surgery.
Wang S, Lin S, Wang H, et al. Reconstruction methods after radical proximal gastrectomy: A systematic review. Medicine. 2018;97(11):e0121.
Kuroda S, Choda Y, Otsuka S, et al. Multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the double-flap technique as antireflux esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy (rD-FLAP Study). Ann Gastroenterol Surg. 2019;3(1):96-103.
Funding
The study was supported in part by the US National Institutes of Health under Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA016672; the Clinical Trials Support Resource was used.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
NI created/edited the submitted video. All authors contributed to the conception and drafting of the work, approved publication, and agreed to accountable for all aspects of the work.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical Approval Statement/Patient Consent Statement
The patient of the presented case agreed to publish this work for professional purpose.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
(MP4 129900 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ikoma, N., Badgwell, B.D. & Mansfield, P.F. Robotic Proximal Gastrectomy with Double-Tract Reconstruction for Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 25, 1357–1358 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-021-04958-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-021-04958-7