[Incorporation of the flexible endoscope in gastrointestinal surgery]. / Integración del endoscopio flexible en cirugía digestiva.

The flexible endoscope has not traditionally figured among the tools used by the surgeon. Intra-operative flexible endoscopy may be one of the techniques available in the operating room in the near future. On analysing the development of minimally invasive surgery and flexible endoscopy, it can be seen that they are converging and losing ground to gastrointestinal endoscopy on the one hand, and gaining it with the flexible endoscope, on the other. The technical development of «hybrid¼ NOTES has shown how some tools not usually available in theatre may be very useful. Flexible endoscopy is probably the technique to enter into the surgical area that offers improved performance. Surgeons need to work closely with the gastroenterologists, while they are trained in these techniques for future «hybrid¼ specialists.

[Gastric cancer and laparoscopy: analysis of data from the national register of laparoscopic gastric surgery]. / Cáncer gástrico por laparoscopia: análisis de los datos del Registro Nacional de Cirugía Gástrica por Laparoscopia.

OBJECTIVE: To study the data from the Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery Spanish National Register of laparoscopic Gastric Surgery and to analyse the type of surgery, the conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complications and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From March 2005 to July 2008, details of 302 laparoscopic gastric surgical interventions were sent to the Association of Spanish Surgeons web-site. Details of surgical technique, reconversion, clinical and pathological data, morbidity and mortality were collected and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 245 patients had gastric adenocarcinoma, 35 of them stromal tumours and 22 other gastric pathologies. In gastric adenocarcinoma patients, resection was performed in 232 cases (95%). The most frequent histology was intestinal, mainly located in the distal third of the stomach, with 34% of the tumours being locally advanced. D2 lymphadenectomy was performed in 117 cases, D1 in 105, and D0 in 6. Reconversion was needed in 21 cases (9%), with technical difficulty being the most frequent cause. Postoperative complications were reported in 72 patients (31%), with anastomotic leak being one of the most significant. Postoperative mortality was 6%, with sepsis due to anastomotic leak and cardiac or respiratory complications the most frequent causes. The mean hospital stay of patients without complications was 9.2 +/- 3 days. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer is a feasible but technically demanding procedure. Potential benefits of minimal invasive surgery can be reduced due to a high rate of postoperative complications.

Integración del endoscopio flexible en cirugía digestiva / Incorporation of the flexible endoscope in gastrointestinal surgery

El endoscopio flexible no ha figurado tradicionalmente entre el conjunto de dispositivos manejados por el cirujano digestivo. La endoscopia flexible intraoperatoria puede ser una de las técnicas que en un futuro no lejano estén disponibles en el quirófano de manera habitual. Al analizar el desarrollo de la cirugía mínimamente invasiva y de la endoscopia flexible, nos damos cuenta de cómo estamos convergiendo y de cómo podemos ir cediendo terreno a la endoscopia digestiva por un lado y ganándolo, con el endoscopio flexible, por otro. El desarrollo de las técnicas «híbridas» NOTES nos ha enseñado a mirar como potencialmente útiles en el quirófano equipos que no son habituales en nuestro entorno. La endoscopia flexible es probablemente la técnica que ofrece mayor rentabilidad al incorporarse al área quirúrgica. Es necesaria la colaboración estrecha con los digestólogos endoscopistas, a la vez que vamos formando a los cirujanos en este tipo de técnicas para un futuro de especialistas «híbridos» (AU)

The flexible endoscope has not traditionally figured among the tools used by the surgeon. Intra-operative flexible endoscopy may be one of the techniques available in the operating room in the near future. On analysing the development of minimally invasive surgery and flexible endoscopy, it can be seen that they are converging and losing ground to gastrointestinal endoscopy on the one hand, and gaining it with the flexible endoscope, on the other. The technical development of «hybrid» NOTES has shown how some tools not usually available in theatre may bevery useful. Flexible endoscopy is probably the technique to enter into the surgical area that offers improved performance. Surgeons need to work closely with the gastroenterologists, while they are trained in these techniques for future «hybrid» specialists (AU)

Cáncer gástrico por laparoscopia: análisis de los datos del Registro Nacional de Cirugía Gástrica por Laparoscopia / Gastric cancer and laparoscopy: analysis of data from the national register of laparoscopic gastric surgery

Objetivo: Describir los datos enviados al Registro Nacional de Cirugía Gástrica por laparoscopia y analizar el tipo de cirugía, la reconversión, las complicaciones postoperatorias y la mortalidad. Pacientes y método: Desde marzo de 2005 a julio de 2008 han sido remitidos al registro 302 pacientes a través de un cuestionario ubicado en la página web de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos, donde se registraron datos clinicopatológicos, características de la cirugía realizada, reconversión y morbimortalidad. Resultados: Se ha intervenido a 245 pacientes por adenocarcinoma gástrico, 35 por tumores estromales y 22 por otras afecciones. En los adenocarcinomas gástricos se realizó cirugía resectiva en 232 (95%) casos. La localización predominante fue el tercio distal y el tipo de tumor más frecuente, el intestinal. El 34% fueron tumores localmente avanzados. Se realizó una linfadenectomía D2 en 117 casos, D1 en 105 y D0 en 6. Se realizó reconversión en 21 (9%), y entre las causas destacan las dificultades técnicas. Se han descrito complicaciones postoperatorias en 72 (31%) casos, entre las que destacan por su gravedad las fístulas digestivas. Hubo una mortalidad postoperatoria del 6%, y las causas más frecuentes fueron la sepsis por fuga anastomótica y las complicaciones cardiorrespiratorias. La estancia media hospitalaria en los pacientes que no presentaron complicaciones fue de 9,2±3 días. Conclusiones: La gastrectomía laparoscópica en el cáncer gástrico es un procedimiento factible que no está exento de dificultades técnicas. Una considerable tasa de complicaciones postoperatorias pueden llegar a condicionar los beneficios de la cirugía mínimamente invasiva(AU)

Objective: To study the data from the Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery Spanish National Register of laparoscopic Gastric Surgery and to analyse the type of surgery, the conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complications and mortality. Patients and Method: From March 2005 to July 2008, details of 302 laparoscopic gastric surgical interventions were sent to the Association of Spanish Surgeons web-site. Details of surgical technique, reconversion, clinical and pathological data, morbidity and mortality were collected and analysed. Results: A total of 245 patients had gastric adenocarcinoma, 35 of them stromal tumours and 22 other gastric pathologies. In gastric adenocarcinoma patients, resection was performed in 232 cases (95%). The most frequent histology was intestinal, mainly located in the distal third of the stomach, with 34% of the tumours being locally advanced. D2 lymphadenectomy was performed in 117 cases, D1 in 105, and D0 in 6. Reconversion was needed in 21 cases (9%), with technical difficulty being the most frequent cause . Postoperative complications were reported in 72 patients (31%), with anastomotic leak being one of the most significant. Postoperative mortality was 6%, with sepsis due to anastomotic leak and cardiac or respiratory complications the most frequent causes. The mean hospital stay of patients without complications was 9.2±3 days.Conclusions: Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer is a feasible but technically demanding procedure. Potential benefits of minimal invasive surgery can be reduced due to a high rate of postoperative complications(AU)