An international Delphi consensus for surgical quality assessment of lymphadenectomy and anastomosis in minimally invasive total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive total gastrectomy (MITG) is a mainstay for curative treatment of patients with gastric cancer. To define and standardize optimal surgical techniques and further improve clinical outcomes through the enhanced MITG surgical quality, there must be consensus on the key technical steps of lymphadenectomy and anastomosis creation, which is currently lacking. This study aimed to determine an expert consensus from an international panel regarding the technical aspects of the performance of MITG for oncological indications using the Delphi method. METHODS: A 100-point scoping survey was created based on the deconstruction of MITG into its key technical steps through local and international expert opinion and literature evidence. An international expert panel comprising upper gastrointestinal and general surgeons participated in multiple rounds of a Delphi consensus. The panelists voted on the issues concerning importance, difficulty, or agreement using an online questionnaire. A priori consensus standard was set at > 80% for agreement to a statement. Internal consistency and reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α. RESULTS: Thirty expert upper gastrointestinal and general surgeons participated in three online Delphi rounds, generating a final consensus of 41 statements regarding MITG for gastric cancer. The consensus was gained from 22, 12, and 7 questions from Delphi rounds 1, 2, and 3, which were rephrased into the 41 statetments respectively. For lymphadenectomy and aspects of anastomosis creation, Cronbach's α for round 1 was 0.896 and 0.886, and for round 2 was 0.848 and 0.779, regarding difficulty or importance. CONCLUSIONS: The Delphi consensus defined 41 steps as crucial for performing a high-quality MITG for oncological indications based on the standards of an international panel. The results of this consensus provide a platform for creating and validating surgical quality assessment tools designed to improve clinical outcomes and standardize surgical quality in MITG.

A Video-Based Procedure-Specific Competency Assessment Tool for Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.

Importance: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is a complex procedure with substantial learning curves. In other complex minimally invasive procedures, suboptimal surgical performance has convincingly been associated with less favorable patient outcomes as assessed by peer review of the surgical procedure. Objective: To develop and validate a procedure-specific competency assessment tool (CAT) for MIE. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this international quality improvement study, a procedure-specific MIE-CAT was developed and validated. The MIE-CAT contains 8 procedural phases, and 4 quality components per phase are scored with a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4. For evaluation of the MIE-CAT, intraoperative MIE videos performed by a single surgical team in the Esophageal Center East Netherlands were peer reviewed by 18 independent international MIE experts (with more than 120 MIEs performed). Each video was assessed by 2 or 3 blinded experts to evaluate feasibility, content validity, reliability, and construct validity. MIE-CAT version 2 was composed with refined content aimed at improving interrater reliability. A total of 32 full-length MIE videos from patients who underwent MIE between 2011 and 2020 were analyzed. Data were analyzed from January 2021 to January 2023. Exposure: Performance assessment of transthoracic MIE with an intrathoracic anastomosis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Feasibility, content validity, interrater and intrarater reliability, and construct validity, including correlations with both experience of the surgical team and clinical parameters, of the developed MIE-CAT. Results: Experts found the MIE-CAT easy to understand and easy to use to grade surgical performance. The MIE-CAT demonstrated good intrarater reliability (range of intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs], 0.807 [95% CI, 0.656 to 0.892] for quality component score to 0.898 [95% CI, 0.846 to 0.932] for phase score). Interrater reliability was moderate (range of ICCs, 0.536 [95% CI, -0.220 to 0.994] for total MIE-CAT score to 0.705 [95% CI, 0.473 to 0.846] for quality component score), and most discrepancies originated in the lymphadenectomy phases. Hypothesis testing for construct validity showed more than 75% of hypotheses correct: MIE-CAT performance scores correlated with experience of the surgical team (r = 0.288 to 0.622), blood loss (r = -0.034 to -0.545), operative time (r = -0.309 to -0.611), intraoperative complications (r = -0.052 to -0.319), and severe postoperative complications (r = -0.207 to -0.395). MIE-CAT version 2 increased usability. Interrater reliability improved but remained moderate (range of ICCs, 0.666 to 0.743), and most discrepancies between raters remained in the lymphadenectomy phases. Conclusions and Relevance: The MIE-CAT was developed and its feasibility, content validity, reliability, and construct validity were demonstrated. By providing insight into surgical performance of MIE, the MIE-CAT might be used for clinical, training, and research purposes.

Assessment of energy intake and total energy expenditure in a series of patients who have undergone oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant treatment.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of malnutrition and its consequences are important aspects of curative management of patients with oesophageal cancer. The objective of the present study was to assess total energy expenditure using SenseWear Armband Mini® (SWA) as well as energy and protein intake in oesophageal cancer patients submitted to modern multimodality therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients were recruited at the time of diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. All patients were amenable for curative intended treatment. Baseline measurement was conducted before start of neoadjuvant treatment and three additional measurements were performed: after the completion of neoadjuvant treatment, at three, and six months postoperatively. The patients carried the SWA for three consecutive days at each measurement period, allowing the measurement of the free-living total energy expenditure and physical activity level. Alongside, a three-day complete food diary was recorded for calculation of energy and protein intake. Body weight was measured at all four occasions and weight six months prior to baseline was reported by the patients. RESULTS: Body weight steadily and significantly decreased during the preoperative phase (p = 0.005 and p = 0.007 at 6 months before baseline and after neoadjuvant treatment, respectively). However, the greatest weight loss was observed at 3 months after surgery (mean = 5.6 kg, p ≤ 0.001), where after it stabilised. Mean energy intake per day was 2033 (1730-2336) kcal at baseline, and increased to 2236 (2012-2461) kcal (p = 0.012) after completion of neoadjuvant treatment. At 3 months after oesophagectomy the daily energy intake decreased to 1759 (1459-2059) kcal (p = 0.155) compared to baseline and regained baseline levels first at 6 months postoperatively. The same trend was observed regarding protein intake. The mean total daily energy expenditure was 2259 (2077-2440) kcal at baseline with no change after the neoadjuvant oncological treatment. A significant reduction in energy expenditure to 1929 (1754-2105) kcal (p = 0.004) compared to baseline was recorded at 3 months post oesophagectomy, which remained unchanged at six months after surgery. CONCLUSION: With the objective to achieve and maintain energy balance, focus must be on the patients' energy intake already at the time of diagnosis, with regular follow up throughout the neoadjuvant therapy phase and during the first 3 postoperative months.

Pulse oximetric assessment of anatomical vascular contribution to tissue perfusion in the gastric conduit.

BACKGROUND: Tubularized stomach is a common substitute used after oesophageal resection. The risk for gastric conduit ischemia, as well as the mechanisms and dynamics for the occurrence of deficient tissue perfusion during the critical construction of a gastric tube, is poorly understood. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients that underwent oesophagectomy were studied with transmural pulse oximetry of different parts of the stomach, and at predefined preparatory steps during the construction of the gastric conduit. RESULTS: After ligation of the left gastric artery (LGA), a reduction to 83.5% in tissue saturation was observed. Three patients (10.3%) had a sustained saturation despite ligation at this point. During final preparation of the gastric tube, and after stapling of the minor curvature, saturation fell to 76.5%. Saturation increased significantly to 80.0% 2 h after the stapling, just before construction of the anastomosis (P = 0.021). There was no association between the level of oxygen saturation and the risk of anastomotic dehiscence. CONCLUSION: During gastric tube construction for oesophageal replacement, conduit perfusion, measured as oxygen saturation with pulse oximetry, decreases significantly. The main cause of this reduction seems to be ligation of the LGA and the final stapling of the gastric tube. Future studies are needed to establish the clinical implications of this finding.