Propensity-score-matched analysis of short- and long-term outcomes in patients with an ileocolic artery crossing anterior vs posterior to the superior mesenteric vein during curative resection for right-sided colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases worldwide. However, laparoscopic lymph node dissection is technically demanding and time-consuming in right-sided colon cancer surgery because of variable vessel anatomy. We evaluated whether the ileocolic artery (ICA) crossing anterior to the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) was associated with better intraoperative parameters and survival compared with the ICA crossing posterior to the SMV, following laparoscopic curative resection for right-sided colon cancer. METHODS: This was a propensity-score-matched retrospective study including data for 540 patients with right-sided colon cancer undergoing laparoscopic curative resection (299 with the ICA crossing anterior to the SMV (group A) and 241 with the ICA crossing posterior to the SMV (group B). We compared propensity-matched scores between the two groups to evaluate surgical and oncological outcomes. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in 5-year overall survival rates between groups for any disease stage (0-III). However, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates did differ significantly between groups (p = 0.011), especially in patients with stage III disease (p = 0.013). We then performed univariate and multivariate analyses to determine the associations between DFS and ICA location and tumor-node-metastasis (UICC) stage. ICA location and UICC stage had a poor association with DFS on univariate analysis: ICA hazard ratio (HR) 2.52, CI 1.19-5.78, p = 0.014 vs HR 3.18, CI 1.08-9.46, p = 0.03, and on multivariate analysis: HR 2.48, CI 1.17-5.69, p = 0.016 vs HR 3.86, CI 1.90-7.96, p = 0.0002. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that an ICA crossing posterior to the SMV was associated with worse DFS compared with an ICA crossing anterior to the SMV. We recommend careful laparoscopic technique in patients with an ICA crossing posterior to the SMV, during lymph node resection in right-sided colon cancer surgery.

Impact of obesity on short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for gastric cancer has been rapidly adopted for the treatment of both early and advanced gastric cancers which need lymph node dissection, but remains difficult procedure, especially in patients with obesity. We evaluated the impact of obesity on short- and long-term outcomes of LADG for gastric cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 243 patients who underwent LADG for gastric cancer between January 2007 and December 2014. The patients were classified based on their body mass index (BMI) into the Obese (BMI ≥ 25) and Non-Obese (BMI < 25) Groups. Patient characteristics, clinicopathologic and operative findings, and short- and long-term outcomes were investigated and compared between the groups. RESULTS: The groups did not differ in age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, the presence of comorbidities, or pathologic stage. Operative time (265 ± 46.6 vs. 244 ± 55.6 min; P = 0.007) and estimated blood loss (113 ± 101.4 vs. 66.5 ± 95.2 ml; P = 0.007) were greater in the Obese Group. Fewer lymph nodes were retrieved in the Obese Group (38 ± 23.7 vs. 47.5 ± 24.3; P = 0.004). No differences were evident in postoperative complication rate (20% vs. 17%; P = 0.688) or the duration of postoperative hospital stay (9 ± 8.5 vs. 9 ± 5.1 days; P = 0.283) between the two groups. In the Obese Group, the 5-year overall survival rate was significantly lower than in the Non-Obese Group (67.6% vs. 90.3%; P = 0.036). Furthermore, 5-year disease-specific survival was significantly lower in the Obese Group than in the Non-Obese Group (72.7% vs. 94.9%; P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: LADG in patients with obesity could be performed as safe as in patients without obesity, with comparable postoperative results. But obesity may be a poor prognostic factor in gastric cancer.

Safety and curability of laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients are often considered as a high-risk population for major abdominal surgery due to reduced functional reserve and increased comorbidities. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and curability of laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer compared with short- and long-term outcomes in non-elderly patients. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 386 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2007 and December 2015 at the Digestive Disease Center, Showa University, Northern Yokohama Hospital. We categorized the patients into two groups by age: the elderly patients (≥ 75 years old) and the non-elderly patients (< 74 years old). Patient characteristics, clinicopathologic and operative findings, and short- and long-term outcomes were investigated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The elderly group showed a significantly higher rate of comorbidities (73.1 vs. 49.2%, P < 0.001), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores ≥ 2 (76.3 vs. 43.7%, P < 0.001), and using anticoagulant agents (25.8 vs. 7.9%, P < 0.001) than the non-elderly group. The postoperative morbidity and mortality did not differ between the two groups (19.4 vs. 18.8%; P = 0.880, 2.2 vs. 0%; P = 0.058). In the multivariate analysis, male sex was the only risk factor for postoperative morbidity after laparoscopic gastrectomy. However, age was not found to be a risk factor. The 5-year overall survival ratio was significantly lower in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group (67.7 vs. 85.0%; P < 0.001). However, the 5-year disease-specific survival ratio was similar in the two groups (84.8 vs. 89.1%; P = 0.071). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer could be safely performed in elderly patients with acceptable postoperative morbidity and curability.

Prognostic factor of patients with short bowel syndrome due to nonCrohn disease: A single institution observational study.

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a severely disabling and potentially life-threatening condition. Survival data for patients with SBS are limited. This study aimed to investigate prognostic factors in patients with SBS undergoing surgery. We reviewed the medical records of 27 consecutive patients with SBS who were treated at our hospital between January 2018 and December 2022. SBS was defined as a remaining small bowel length <200 cm, excluding patients with Crohn disease. Of the 27 patients identified, 17 were males and 10 were females, with a median age of 77 (46-90) years and a total observation time of 137 (2-1628) days. All patients underwent surgery and received parenteral nutrition (PN) and follow-up in our hospital. Superior mesenteric artery stenosis (44.4%) and nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (25.9%) most commonly caused SBS. The median residual small bowel length and postoperative hospital stay were 50 (5-150) cm and 48 (2-104) days, respectively. Jejunostomy was performed in 17 (62.9%) patients, and 4 (14.8%) patients were weaned off their PN. Death occurred in 14 (51.8%), and the median survival time was 209 days. The survival outcome was compared between the survival (n = 13) and the death groups (n = 14). Jejunostomy and PN rates were significantly higher in the death group (P < .01, P = .03, respectively). SBS is associated with significantly higher mortality rates. Jejunostomy and long PN duration are significantly associated with death in patients with SBS.

Single-port laparoscopic surgery for cecum cancer with intussusception: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Most adult cases of intussusception are caused by colorectal cancer, and emergency surgery is performed when symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting are present. The patient must customarily undergo both bowel decompression and radical surgery for colorectal cancer at the same time, and laparotomy is generally the procedure of choice. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-year-old woman presented to our hospital with diarrhea and bloody stools. Preoperative examination revealed the presence of a cancerous tumor in the advanced part of the transverse colon and bowel intussusception. Radical surgery was successfully performed using the laparoscopic single-port technique through a small incision at the umbilical site to treat intussusception caused by cecum cancer. CONCLUSIONS: With only one wound site at the umbilicus, this single-port laparoscopic approach is much less invasive than endoscopic surgery that requires four to five incision wounds to perform the procedure. Furthermore, the patient was discharged without major complications and this surgical technique could be of great benefit if established as a standard procedure in the future.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy as a bridge to colorectal cancer surgery for obese patients: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Severe obesity greatly influences the difficulty of colorectal cancer surgery and has been reported to prolong operative time, increase the rate of laparotomy, and elevate increase postoperative complications. We investigated the efficacy of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) for preoperative weight loss to ensure safe colorectal cancer surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51 year-old female with a body mass index of 43.5 kg/m2 was referred to our hospital due to a positive fecal occult blood test. She was diagnosed as having a laterally spreading tumor of the cecum by colonoscopy. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was attempted but proved difficult due to the size of the lesion and its proximity to the appendiceal orifice. We planned bariatric surgery prior to colorectal surgery, and she underwent LSG without any complications. Seven months after the LSG, she had lost 30.7 kg, and her final preoperative body mass index was 27.8 kg/m2. Single-incision laparoscopic ileocecal resection was then performed safely. The pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma in adenoma of the cecum, TisN0M0. CONCLUSION: LSG was effective in reducing visceral fat and making it possible to perform safe surgery for colorectal cancer in a severely obese patient.

Risk factors of bleeding during rectal cancer surgery in obese patients in Japan.

BACKGROUND: According to several clinical trials for patients with rectal cancer, laparoscopic surgery significantly reduces intraoperative complications and bleeding compared with laparotomy and demonstrated comparable long-term results. However, obesity is considered one of the risk factors for increased surgical difficulty, including complication rate, prolonged operation time, and bleeding. METHODS: Patients with clinical pathological stage II/III rectal cancer and a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 who underwent laparotomy or laparoscopic surgery between January 2009 and December 2013 at 51 institutions participating in the Japan Society of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery were included. These patients were divided into major bleeding (>500 mL) group and minor bleeding (≤500 mL) group. The risk factors of major bleeding were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: This study included 517 patients, of which 74 (19.9%) experienced major bleeding. Patient characteristics did not significantly differ between the two groups. The major bleeding group had a longer operative time (p < 0.001) and a larger tumor size than the minor bleeding group (p = 0.011). In the univariate analysis, age >65 years, laparotomy, operative time >300 min, and multivisceral resection were significantly associated with intraoperative massive bleeding. In the multivariate analysis, age >65 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-4.82), laparotomy (OR, 20.82; 95% CI, 11.56-39.75), operative time >300 min (OR, 5.39; 95% CI, 1.67-132), and multivisceral resection (OR, 10.72; 95% CI, 2.47-64.0) showed to be risk factors for massive bleeding. CONCLUSION: Age >65 years, laparotomy, operative time >300 min, and multivisceral resection were risk factors for massive bleeding during rectal cancer surgery in patients with obesity.

Needlescopic video-assisted wedge resection combined with the subcostal trans-diaphragmatic approach for undetermined peripheral pulmonary nodules.

BACKGROUND: Reduced mortality from lung cancer by computed tomography (CT) screening facilitates the use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung wedge resection to obtain a definite diagnosis and to treat tiny nodules. The authors evaluated their initial experience using novel needlescopic VATS wedge resection combined with the subcostal trans-diaphragmatic (SCTD) approach for managing undetermined peripheral pulmonary nodules. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2012, 35 patients who had 36 operations underwent needlescopic VATS wedge pulmonary resection with the SCTD approach. Preoperative percutaneous CT-guided marking of the nodule was performed. Two 3-mm miniports were placed in the thorax for the thoracoscopic camera and minigrasper. Just anterior to the 10th rib, a 2-cm subcostal incision was made, and a 12- or 15-mm port was placed trans-diaphragmatically into the chest cavity. Wedge resection of the lung was performed with endostaplers introduced through a subcostal port. RESULTS: The median tumor size was 1.1 cm. Localization of the tumor was widely distributed. The mean operation time was 51 min, and the mean blood loss was 4.2 mL. No patients required conversion to thoracotomy, and one patient required conversion to conventional VATS. Additional thoracic ports were placed in five patients, and the needlescopic incision was extended to 15 mm in one patient. The median duration of chest drainage was 1 day. Additional analgesia was not required for 22 patients and was used for less than 1 day for three patients, less than 2 days for seven patients, and less than 3 days for seven patients. The pathologic diagnosis of the nodules was malignant for 28 patients and benign for 8 patients. On postoperative day 7 or at admission, 34 patients were free of postoperative neuralgia. CONCLUSIONS: Needlescopic VATS wedge pulmonary resection combined with the SCTD approach is both safe and feasible and offers the specific advantages of minimal invasiveness and good cosmetic outcomes.

Ventral hernia repair with enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal technique after a massive weight loss by laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Ventral hernia repair (VHR) for obese patients is often associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications and hernia recurrences. Achieving preoperative weight loss is ideal before VHR; however, it is difficult to attain with medical treatment. Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) offers the most effective and durable treatment for obesity. Therefore, massive weight loss occurring after MBS will improve the outcome of VHR. CASE PRESENTATION: A 49-year-old man (122.9 kg, BMI 39.1 kg/m2) presented to our hospital wishing to undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and VHR. Physical examination revealed a tennis ball-sized lower midline defect. Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a hernia orifice 5 cm in width and 10 cm in height. As the hernia orifice was large, mesh reinforcement was essential. We planned for him to undergo VHR after massive weight loss was achieved by MBS. VHR was performed using the enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (eTEP) technique after weight loss of 38 kg was achieved 9 months following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. His postoperative course was uneventful, and neither recurrence nor seroma was observed at 1 year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: eTEP repair of a ventral hernia after massive weight loss following MBS would appear to be the best combination treatment for obese patients with ventral hernias. However, long-term follow-up is necessary to establish its safety and efficacy.

D3 lymph node dissection with versus without left colic artery preservation in single-incision laparoscopic surgery for sigmoid and rectosigmoid cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis.

PURPOSE: In surgery for colorectal cancer, dissection of the lymph nodes and fatty tissue around the root of the inferior mesenteric artery is important from an oncologic point of view. However, it is debatable whether it is better to preserve or remove the left colic artery (LCA). This study aimed to compare D3 lymphadenectomy with versus without LCA preservation in single-incision laparoscopic surgery for sigmoid and rectosigmoid cancer. METHODS: A total of 1138 patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer between April 2011 and December 2018 at Fukui Prefectural Hospital. This propensity score-matched retrospective study analyzed the data of 163 patients: 42 patients with LCA preservation (group A) and 129 without LCA preservation (group B). Clinical and oncological outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups A and B in patient characteristics, surgical outcomes, including the 5-year overall survival rate (75% vs. 64.2%, hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-4.30), 5-year disease-free survival rate (85.7% vs. 85.7%, HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.24-4.22), and 5-year cancer-specific survival rate (92.8% vs. 89.3%, HR 1.50, 95% CI 0.25-11.4). CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the short- and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent single-incision laparoscopic surgery with D3 lymphadenectomy with versus without LCA preservation. This suggests that LCA preservation is safe and feasible in single-incision laparoscopic surgery for sigmoid and rectosigmoid colon cancer.

Does Pathological T-Factor Affect Long-term Prognosis of Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer Treated With Laparoscopic Multivisceral Resection?

BACKGROUND/AIM: Locally advanced colorectal cancer (LACC) has poor long-term outcomes. Our hypothesis was that the pathological tumor depth would affect postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent multivisceral resection with clear margins (R0). The aim of this study was to analyze short- and long-term outcomes in patients who underwent multivisceral resection for LACC, comparing between T3 and T4 stages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a propensity score-matched, retrospective study. All 8,764 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer between April 2007 and January 2021 at the Saitama Medical University International Medical Center were screened; 572 underwent multivisceral resection for LACC. We compared the T3 and T4 groups to evaluate outcomes. RESULTS: The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates did not significantly differ between the two groups (hazard ratio=1.344, 95% confidence interval=0.638-2.907, p=0.33). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were significantly worse for the T4 group than for the T3 group (hazard ratio=3.162, 95% confidence interval=1.077-11.44), p=0.037). To determine the association between American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, transfusion, pathological T and OS, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses. ASA, transfusion, and pathological T-stage were associated with worse OS in univariate analysis (T4 vs. T3, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that postoperative complications and DFS of the T4 group were similar to those of the T3 group of locally advanced colorectal cancer treated with laparoscopic multivisceral resection. However, OS was worse in the T4 group compared with the T3 group. Multivariate risk factors for poor OS were ASA>2, transfusion, and T4 stage.

Small bowel fistula with colorectal cancer and mesenteric lymph node metastasis: a report of two cases.

A 65-year-old man presented to our hospital with complaints of diarrhea. Computed tomography showed a fistula with the small intestine, and a single incision laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectum with D3 dissection and partial resection of the small intestine were performed. Lymph node dissection, including a part of the inflow vessel area, was also performed because lymph node swelling was observed in the mesentery of the small intestine around the fistula. Histopathological analysis revealed that the lymph nodes in the small intestine were positive for metastasis. The patient was a 61-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of diarrhea. A partial resection of the small intestine, including resection of the left hemicolectomy and lymph node dissection around the fistula, was performed at laparotomy. Histopathological examination revealed numerous lymph node metastases in the small intestinal mesentery.

Oncologic outcomes after laparoscopic versus open multivisceral resection for local advanced colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis.

Laparoscopic (lap) colectomies for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) often require resection of other organs. We systematically reviewed currently available literature on lap multi-visceral resection for CRC, with regard to short- and long-term oncological outcomes, and compared them with open procedures. We performed a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar and PubMed from inception to November 30, 2020. The aim of this study was to synthesize short-term and oncological outcomes associated with laparoscopic versus open surgery. Pooled proportions and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated using an inverse variance method. We included six observational cohort studies published between 2012 and 2020 (lap procedures: n = 262; open procedures: n = 273). Collectively, they indicated that postoperative complications were significantly more common after open surgeries than lap surgeries (RR: 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-0.72; P < 0.00001), but the two approaches did not significantly differ in positive resection margins (RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.38-1.50; P = 0.42), local recurrence (RR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.28-1.62; P = 0.37), or (based on two evaluable studies) 5-year OS (RR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.46-1.04; P = 0.08) or 5-year DFS (RR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.67-1.11) for T4b disease. In conclusion, laparoscopic and open multi-visceral resections for advanced CRC have comparable oncologic outcomes. Although a randomized study would be ideal for further research, no such studies are currently available.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of ten cases of advanced gastric carcinoma after S-1 combined with cisplatin administered as neoadjuvant chemotherapy].

OBJECTIVE: Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)has been recognized as an important option for improving the clinical outcome of patients with advanced gastric carcinoma, convincing evidence that it prolongs life and brings about a good prognosis are both lacking. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of NAC in ten patients with advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of ten patients with advanced gastric cancer, who received NAC with the combination of S-1 and cisplatin in our hospital from April 2008 to March 2010, were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: A total of 5 patients responded to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 2 patients showed a complete regression of the primary gastric carcinoma. Four of the 5 patients who responded had solid-type poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: NAC with the combination of S-1 and cisplatin was suggested to be effective for advanced gastric carcinoma, especially for solid-type poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas(por1).