Antimesenteric cutback end-to-end isoperistaltic anastomosis (Sasaki-Watanabe anastomosis) for Crohn's disease: Novel surgical technique and early results of surgical anastomotic recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Antimesenteric cutback end-to-end isoperistaltic anastomosis (Sasaki-Watanabe anastomosis; Sasaki-W anastomosis), which was developed in our department, is a novel hand-sewn anastomotic technique for Crohn's disease intended to prevent anastomotic stenosis and preserve the peripheral circulation. AIM: The aim of the present study is to present the surgical technique of Sasaki-W anastomosis and to assess the safety and the early results of the surgical anastomotic recurrence of Sasaki-W anastomosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study was a single-center retrospective cohort study. As an early-period group, 13 patients with Crohn's disease, who were mainly selected from cases considered to be at high risk of recurrence, underwent 15 Sasaki-W anastomoses from August 2009 to January 2012. As a late-period group, 36 patients with Crohn's disease, who were selected regardless of risk factors, underwent 37 Sasaki-W anastomoses from September 2016 to March 2020. The medical data including patient characteristics, surgical records, postoperative details, and surgical recurrences were assessed. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative complications. With a median follow-up of 107 mo, surgical recurrence occurred in one patient at 106 mo after surgery in the early-period group. The cumulative surgical recurrence-free rate in the early-period group was 100% at 5 y and 86% at 10 y after surgery. No patients required reoperation in the late-period group. CONCLUSION: Sasaki-W anastomosis is safe and feasible. Although long-term study is needed, this anastomotic technique can be a reasonable operative option for Crohn's disease.

Postoperative therapy with infliximab for Crohn's disease: a 2-year prospective randomized multicenter study in Japan.

PURPOSE: The prevention of postoperative recurrence is a critical issue in surgery for Crohn's disease. Prospective randomized trials in Western countries have shown that the postoperative use of anti-tumor necrosis factor α-antibodies was effective in reducing the recurrence rate. We investigated the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) for the prevention of postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized multicenter study. Patients who underwent intestinal resection were assigned to groups treated with or without IFX. Immediately after surgery, patients in the IFX group received IFX at 5 mg/kg at 0, 2, and 6 weeks, followed by every 8 weeks for 2 years. The primary study outcome was the proportion of patients with endoscopic and/or clinical recurrence at 2 years after surgery. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eligible patients participated in this study: 19 in the IFX group and 19 in the non-IFX group. The disease recurrence rate in the IFX group was 52.6% (10/19), which was significantly lower than that in the non-IFX group (94.7% [18/19]). CONCLUSION: The postoperative use of IFX is effective in preventing Crohn's disease recurrence for 2 years.

Current State of and Problems Related to Cancer of the Intestinal Tract Associated with Crohn's Disease in Japan.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Cancer of the intestinal tract (small and large intestine) associated with Crohn's disease has a low incidence but can be fatal if it develops. Thus, the key question is how to deal with this type of cancer. The current study surveyed major medical facilities that treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgically in Japan in order to examine the clinical features of cancer of the intestinal tract associated with Crohn's disease and explore ways to deal with this cancer in the future. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen major medical facilities that treat IBD surgically were surveyed regarding cancer of the intestinal tract associated with Crohn's disease. The medical facilities had treated 3,454 patients with Crohn's disease, 122 of whom had developed intestinal cancer. The medical facilities were surveyed regarding those 122 patients. RESULTS: The incidence of intestinal cancer associated with Crohn's disease has increased yearly. Cancer most often developed in the left side of the colon and, particularly, in the rectum and anal canal. Seventy-six percent of cases were diagnosed preoperatively, 4% were diagnosed intraoperatively, while the remaining 20% were diagnosed pathologically after surgery. The most prevalent histological type of cancer was mucinous carcinoma (50%). Forty-two percent of cancers were differentiated, with 4% being poorly differentiated. The surgical procedure performed most often (67%) was abdominoperineal resection. The 5-year survival rate by stage was 88% for Stage I, 68% for Stage II, 71% for Stage IIIa, 25% for Stage IIIb and 0% for Stage IV. Overall, the 5-year survival rate was 52%. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer associated with Crohn's disease had an incidence of 3.5%, but also involved a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of 52%. Early detection through surveillance is crucial to improving the prognosis for patients. However, surveillance of the intestinal tract with endoscopy or contrast studies is technically and diagnostically hampered by Crohn's disease and intestinal strictures. A biopsy of the anal canal, a common site of cancer, can readily be performed and constitutes the first step in surveillance.

Gene-expression profiles correlate with the efficacy of anti-EGFR therapy and chemotherapy for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive gene-expression analysis is very useful for classifying specific cancers into subgroups on the basis of their biological characteristics; it is used both prognostically and predictively. The purpose of this study was to classify unresectable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC) by gene-expression profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and to correlate CRC subgroups with clinicopathological and molecular features and clinical outcomes. METHODS: One hundred patients with advanced or recurrent CRC were enrolled. RNA extracted from FFPE tissues was subjected to gene-expression microarray analysis. RESULTS: The patients were stratified into four subgroups (subtypes A1, A2, B1, and B2) by unsupervised hierarchical clustering. By use of principle-components analysis (PCA), the patients were divided into subtypes A and B on the basis of component 1 and into subtypes 1 and 2 on the basis of component 2. Subtype A was significantly enriched among patients without the KRAS mutation and with an earlier clinical stage at diagnosis. With regard to anti-EGFR therapy, progression-free survival (PFS) was better for patients in subtype A without the KRAS mutation than for those with the KRAS mutation (P = 0.047). PFS for patients without the KRAS mutation in subtype B was comparable with that for patients with the KRAS mutation (P = 0.55). Similar results were observed in a validation set. CONCLUSION: We found that gene-expression profiles enabled stratification of CRC patients into four subgroups. The efficacy of anti-EGFR therapy was correlated with component 1 from PCA. This comprehensive study may explain the heterogeneity of unresectable advanced or recurrent CRC and could be useful for identifying novel biomarkers for CRC treatment.

Risk factors for surgical site infection in Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis: a multicenter prospective study.

PURPOSE: A prospective, multicenter, observational study was performed to investigate the risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: From 2009 to 2010, perioperative clinicopathological data were collected from patients who had undergone surgery for UC within the research period, for up to 6 consecutive months in 13 hospitals in Japan. The primary outcome was the development of SSI. RESULTS: A total of 195 patients with UC who underwent colorectal surgery were enrolled. SSI was diagnosed in 38 (19.5 %) patients, in the form of incisional infection in 23 (11.8 %), organ/space infection in 16 (8.2 %), and both in 1 (0.5 %). There were no significant risk factors associated with an increased risk of development of incisional SSI. An American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of ≥ 3 was indicated as the only significant risk factor for organ/space SSI (P = 0.02) compared with other factors, such as a neutrophil count of >100 × 10(2)/mm(3), albumin level of <3.5 g/dl, perioperative packed red blood cell transfusion, fair or poor colonic cleanliness, and therapeutic use of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Poor general physical status was the significant independent risk factor for organ/space SSI in patients with UC in Japan.

Long-term incidence and characteristics of intestinal failure in Crohn's disease: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to clarify the risk and characteristics of intestinal failure (IF) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: The present study was a retrospective study in 12 hospitals. CD patients who underwent initial surgery at any of the 12 hospitals between 1970 and 2009 were collected (n = 1,703). Those who developed IF were reviewed (n = 68), and the cumulative risk of IF was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. In addition, IF patients who underwent initial surgery at other hospitals and were then treated at any of the 12 hospitals were also reviewed (n = 33). Thus, a total of 101 IF patients were collected, and the cumulative risk of IF-related death was analyzed. RESULTS: The cumulative risk of IF after the initial surgery was 0.8 % (5 years), 3.6 % (10 years), 6.1 % (15 years), and 8.5 % (20 years). In CD patients with IF, mean age at initial surgery, IF occurrence, and present age at the time of the study were 28.2, 38.2, and 46.1 years, respectively. The mean number of surgeries per patient was 3.3. The mean length of the remnant small bowel was 163 cm. Twelve IF patients (12 %) had died and the cumulative risk of IF-related death by the time from the occurrence of IF was 1.1 % (3 years), 3.7 % (5 years), 6.5 % (7 years), and 8.9 % (10 years). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of IF and IF-related death in CD patients is not rare over the long term. There is a pressing need to develop strategies for the prevention and management of IF.

Suppressed expression of NDRG2 correlates with poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease with a poor prognosis; the molecular mechanisms of the development of this disease have not yet been fully elucidated. N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), one of the candidate tumor suppressor genes, is frequently downregulated in pancreatic cancer, but there has been little information regarding its expression in surgically resected pancreatic cancer specimens. We investigated an association between NDRG2 expression and prognosis in 69 primary resected pancreatic cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry and observed a significant association between poor prognosis and NDRG2-negative staining (P=0.038). Treatment with trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, predominantly up-regulated NDRG2 expression in the NDRG2 low-expressing cell lines (PANC-1, PCI-35, PK-45P, and AsPC-1). In contrast, no increased NDRG2 expression was observed after treatment with 5-aza-2' deoxycytidine, a DNA demethylating agent, and no hypermethylation was detected in either pancreatic cancer cell lines or surgically resected specimens by methylation specific PCR. Our present results suggest that (1) NDRG2 is functioning as one of the candidate tumor-suppressor genes in pancreatic carcinogenesis, (2) epigenetic mechanisms such as histone modifications play an essential role in NDRG2 silencing, and (3) the expression of NDRG2 is an independent prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer.

Results of modified uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The frequent occurrence of bile gastritis and esophagitis associated with dehiscence of 'uncut' jejunal portion was of concern for "uncut" Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy. Our aim was to study if our technique of a modified, uncut Roux-en-Y procedure would decrease this dehiscence. METHODOLOGY: Ten patients with gastric cancer underwent distal gastrectomy with a modified, uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Transmural silk stitches were added around the staples at the "uncut" portion in attempt to prevent dehiscence of the staple line. Dehiscence of the jejunum at the enterically closed site was investigated endoscopically or fluoroscopically. RESULTS: Mean operative time and intraoperative blood loss were 246 minutes and 381 mL, respectively. Morbidity occurred in three patients. No dehiscence was observed in any of the patients examined. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the possibility that our technique of a modified, uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy decreases dehiscence of enterically closed portion.

Young-onset peri-anorectal leiomyomatosis: report of a case.

A 23-year-old female was referred with constipation that lasted for 2 years. Preoperative examinations revealed multiple submucosal tumors beside the anorectum, along with subcutaneous tumors in the left buttock. The pathological diagnosis was leiomyoma. Low anterior resection of the rectum with regional lymph node dissection, along with the resection of the subcutaneous tumors in the left buttock through the transdermal approach, was performed, since multiple tumor formation indicated a high malignant potential. The tumors were diagnosed as multiple leiomyomas with no malignancy. Disease categories such as intravenous leiomyomatosis, leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata, Alport syndrome, and Currarino syndrome have been reported to be associated with leiomyomatosis; however, the current case of "peri-anorectal leiomyomatosis" was not classified into any of these. The patient was monitored with careful checkups, and the postoperative course was satisfactory for over 5 years without any sign of recurrence or metastasis. Although the clinicopathological features of this case are quite rare and no therapeutic guidelines for such a disease have yet been established, radical resection should be considered, and the elucidation of the histogenesis of this disease will help establish future therapeutic guidelines.

IL-23 directly enhances the proliferative and invasive activities of colorectal carcinoma.

Interleukin-23 (IL-23) plays an essential role in the mucosal immune system. It has been suggested that IL-23 is able to induce carcinogenesis as well as inflammation and a recent study revealed that IL-23R is expressed in colorectal carcinoma cells. However, neither the differences in the IL-23R expression among the patients nor the concrete functions of IL-23 in colorectal carcinoma cells have been revealed. The aim of the present study was to examine the characteristics of IL-23R expression in colorectal carcinoma and the direct effects of IL-23 on colorectal cancer cells. We examined the IL-23R expression in human colorectal cancer tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation and invasion assays under IL-23 stimulation were performed using cultured cells derived from colorectal cancer. ELISA and real-time PCR were used to evaluate the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß production due to IL-23 stimulation. All of the TNM stage IV patients were positive for IL-23R. IL-23R expression in the carcinoma tissue was also relatively high at the deepest point of invasion in certain cases. The proliferative and invasive activities and/or TGF-ß production of DLD-1 cells increased by IL-23 stimulation, whereas no change was observed in the activities of MIP101 and KM12c cells. IL-23 directly enhanced the malignancy of the colon carcinoma cells. An autocrine mechanism via TGF-ß production may underlie these effects. IL-23 is therefore a potential target for cancer immunotherapy. However, the homogeneity in IL-23R expression and the effects of IL-23 on colorectal carcinoma cells should be considered.

Time trend and risk factors for reoperation in Crohn's disease in Japan.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to evaluate time changes in reoperation rate after initial surgery in Crohn's disease (CD) over the last five decades in Japan and to assess the risk factors for reoperation, given that a decrease in the reoperation rate for CD remains controversial. METHODOLOGY: CD patients (n-476) who underwent initial intestinal surgery were examined. Case records were collected from 13 institutions and scrutinized retrospectively. The primary outcome measure was the reoperation rate needing intestinal surgery. To evaluate the time changes, we compared medical treatment and reoperation rate in patients from two different periods of time; before and after 2002 when infliximab became available in Japan (1963-2002 and 2003-2008 groups). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the influence of independent variables on the cumulative reoperation rate. RESULTS: A total of 201 patients underwent reoperation. Overall 5-year and 10-year cumulative reoperation rates were 31.4% and 61.2%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, an onset of the disease between 1963-2002 (p=0.0199) and postoperative administration of infliximab (p=0.0003) and immunosuppressants (p<0.0001) were significant risk factors for reoperation. The cumulative 5-year reoperation rate decreased significantly in the 2003-2008 group compared to the 1963-2002 group (6.3% vs. 32.9%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The reoperation rate for CD has decreased significantly in recent years in Japan. However, to further confirm this time trend, we need to evaluate CD patients with a longer follow-up period.

A shift from colon- to ileum-predominant bacteria in ileal-pouch feces following total proctocolectomy.

BACKGROUND: We previously investigated fecal flora of the pouch after total proctocolectomy using terminal restriction fragment polymorphism analysis. Although the results of the cluster analysis demonstrated clearly that bacterial populations, including an unidentified bacteria generating a 213-bp PCR fragment, moved toward a colon-like community in the pouch, it did not track changes in the individual species of fecal bacteria. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to estimate genome copy number of ten bacterial species, clusters, groups, or subgroups (including the bacteria generating 213-bp fragment in the previous study) in feces samples from pouches at various times following ileostomy closure. METHODS: A total of 117 stool samples were collected from patients with ulcerative colitis after surgery as well as healthy volunteers. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction of the 16S rRNA gene to estimate genome copy numbers for the nine bacterial populations and the bacteria generating 213-bp fragment after identification by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: We demonstrated a time-dependent increase in the number of anaerobic and colon-predominant bacteria (such as Clostridium coccoides, C. leptum, Bacteroides fragilis and Atopobium) present in proctocolectomy patients after stoma closure. In contrast, numbers of ileum-predominant bacterial species (such as Lactobacillus and Enterococcus faecalis) declined. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm previous findings that fecal flora in the pouch after total proctocolectomy changes significantly, and further demonstrate that the number and diversity of ileal bacteria decreases while a more colon-like community develops. The present data are essential for the future analysis of pathological conditions in the ileal pouch.

The long-term clinical course of pouchitis after total proctocolectomy and IPAA for ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication after restorative total proctocolectomy and IPAA for ulcerative colitis. OBJECTIVE: We examined the incidence, clinical aspects, and long-term outcome of patients with idiopathic pouchitis. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective review of medical records. PATIENTS: Included in the study were 284 patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent a total proctocolectomy and IPAA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We evaluated the cumulative risk and long-term outcome of pouchitis including the duration of disease, pattern of relapse, and responsiveness to antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients developed idiopathic pouchitis. The cumulative risk was 10.7% at 1 year, 17.2% at 2 years, 24.0% at 5 years, and 38.2% at 10 years. At their first pouchitis episode, 45 patients had acute pouchitis, 19 patients had chronic pouchitis, and all patients received antibiotic therapy with oral ciprofloxacin and/or metronidazole. The efficacy of the therapy was 96.6% initially. Forty-five patients had antibiotic-responsive pouchitis, 17 patients had antibiotic-dependent pouchitis, and 2 patients had antibiotic-refractory pouchitis at their first episode. Whereas 20 of 45 patients (44.4%) with initially acute pouchitis experienced 2 or more relapses, 16 of 19 patients (84.2%) with initially chronic pouchitis had 2 or more relapses. After taking into account the relapses, the number of patients with antibiotic-responsive pouchitis decreased from 45 to 40, the number with antibiotic-dependent pouchitis increased from 17 to 20, and the number with antibiotic-refractory pouchitis increased from 2 to 4. Among the 4 patients with antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, 3 patients had Clostridium difficile-associated pouchitis. LIMITATIONS: This study was retrospective. CONCLUSION: The patients with chronic pouchitis at the first episode tend to have a higher incidence of relapse. In some patients, the responsiveness to antibiotic therapy changes during follow-up. When patients with pouchitis do not respond to standard antibiotic therapy, then the occurrence of C difficile infection should be considered.

Runt-related transcription factor 2 in human colon carcinoma: a potent prognostic factor associated with estrogen receptor.

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) belongs to the RUNX family of heterodimeric transcription factors, and is mainly associated with osteogenesis. Previous in vitro studies demonstrated that RUNX2 increased the cell proliferation of mouse and rat colon carcinoma cells but the status of RUNX2 has remained unknown in human colon carcinoma. Therefore, we examined clinical significance and biological functions of RUNX2 in colon carcinoma. RUNX2 immunoreactivity was examined in 157 colon carcinoma tissues using immunohistochemistry. RUNX2 immunoreactivity was evaluated as percentage of positive carcinoma cells [i.e., labeling index (LI)]. We used SW480 and DLD-1 human colon carcinoma cells, expressing estrogen receptor-ß (ER) in subsequent in vitro studies. RUNX2 immunoreactivity was detected in colon carcinoma cells, and the median value of RUNX2 LI was 67%. RUNX2 LI was significantly associated with Dukes' stage, liver metastasis and ERß status. In addition, RUNX2 LI was significantly associated with adverse clinical outcome of the colon carcinoma patients, and turned out an independent prognostic factor following multivariate analysis. Results of in vitro studies demonstrated that both SW480 and DLD-1 cells transfected with small interfering RNA against RUNX2 significantly decreased their cell proliferation, migration and invasive properties. In addition, RUNX2 mRNA level was significantly decreased by ER antagonist in these two cells. These findings all suggest that RUNX2 is a potent prognostic factor in human colon carcinoma patients through the promotion of cell proliferation and invasion properties, and is at least partly upregulated by estrogen signals through ERß of carcinoma cells.

Differentiating rectal carcinoma by an immunohistological analysis of carcinomas of pelvic organs based on the NCBI Literature Survey and the Human Protein Atlas database.

The treatments and prognoses of pelvic organ carcinomas differ, depending on whether the primary tumor originated in the rectum, urinary bladder, prostate, ovary, or uterus; therefore, it is essential to diagnose pathologically the primary origin and stages of these tumors. To establish the panels of immunohistochemical markers for differential diagnosis, we reviewed 91 of the NCBI articles on these topics and found that the results correlated closely with those of the public protein database, the Human Protein Atlas. The results revealed the panels of immunohistochemical markers for the differential diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma, in which [+] designates positivity in rectal adenocarcinoma and [-] designates negativity in rectal adenocarcinoma: from bladder adenocarcinoma, CDX2[+], VIL1[+], KRT7[-], THBD[-] and UPK3A[-]; from prostate adenocarcinoma, CDX2[+], VIL1[+], CEACAM5[+], KLK3(PSA)[-], ACPP(PAP)[-] and SLC45A3(prostein)[-]; and from ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma, CEACAM5[+], VIL1[+], CDX2[+], KRT7[-] and MUC5AC[-]. The panels of markers distinguishing ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, cervical carcinoma, and endometrial adenocarcinoma were also represented. Such a comprehensive review on the differential diagnosis of carcinomas of pelvic organs has not been reported before. Thus, much information has been accumulated in public databases to provide an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers.

IFSO-APC consensus statements 2011.

Associations of BMI with body composition and health outcomes may differ between Asian and European populations. Asian populations have also been shown to have an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia at a relatively low level of BMI. New surgical indication for Asian patients should be discussed by the expert of this field. Forty-four bariatric experts in Asia-Pacific and other regions were chosen to have a voting privilege for IFSO-APC Consensus at the 2nd IFSO-APC Congress. A computerized audience-response voting system was used to analyze the agreement with the sentence of the consensus. Of all delegates, 95% agreed with the necessity of the establishment of IFSO-APC consensus statements, and 98% agreed with the necessity of a new indication for Asian patients. IFSO-APC Consensus statements 2011. Bariatric surgery should be considered for the treatment of obesity for acceptable Asian candidates with BMI ≥ 35 with or without co-morbidities. Bariatric/GI metabolic surgery should be considered for the treatment of T2DM or metabolic syndrome for patients who are inadequately controlled by lifestyle alternations and medical treatment for acceptable Asian candidates with BMI ≥ 30. The surgical approach may be considered as a non-primary alternative to treat inadequately controlled T2DM, or metabolic syndrome, for suitable Asian candidates with BMI ≥ 27.5. Other eight sentences are agreed with by majority of the voting delegates to form IFSO-APC consensus statements. This will help to make safe and wholesome the progress of bariatric and metabolic surgery in Asia.

Current status of pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for the treatment of gastric cancer: a questionnaire survey and review of literatures.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the current status of pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) for the treatment of gastric cancer by sending a questionnaire to institutions in Japan. METHODS: The questionnaire was prepared and sent to 930 institutions approved by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery. Questions were the indications for PPG, preservation of the vagus nerves and the infra-pyloric artery, whether suprapyloric lymph nodes are dissected, distance between the pylorus and the gastrogastrostomy, and the advantages and disadvantages of PPG. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 345 institutions (37.1%). In 148 institutions, PPG was included in the choices of operations for gastric cancer and indicated for patients with tumors no deeper than the submucosal layer for differentiated-type carcinoma, or for tumors limited to the mucosa even in poorly differentiated types in 105 institutions. The vagus was preserved in 73.5%, the infrapyloric artery was preserved in 49.4%, and the dissection of suprapyloric lymph nodes were partly performed in 56.2%. The distance between gastrogastrostomy and the pyloric ring was 3-3.9 cm in 43.4% and 2-2.9 cm in 39%. Layer-to-layer anastomosis was the most representative technique for gastrogastrostomy. The advantages of PPG with decreased incidence of dumping syndrome and remnant gastritis were quoted in 130 and 82 institutions, respectively. Delayed gastric emptying was considered as the most frequent disadvantage of PPG, as quoted by 111 institutions. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that standard technique in PPG includes the preservation of the vagus and infrapyloric artery, in part dissection of suprapyloric lymph nodes, and layer-to-layer anastomosis for reconstruction. The optimal length of the antral cuff is still controversial.