Preoperative laparoscopic ligation of the left gastric vessels in preparation for esophagectomy.

Anastomotic leak is a major cause for morbidity after esophagectomy. The cause is believed to be ischemia of the gastric conduit. Preoperative embolization of the left gastric vessels in preparation for esophagectomy has been shown to improve collateral blood flow of the gastric conduit and may reduce the frequency of anastomotic dehiscence after esophagectomy. This report describes the technique of laparoscopic division of the left gastric vessels in 9 patients who underwent pre-esophagectomy staging laparoscopy. Our initial experience demonstrates that laparoscopic ligation of the left gastric artery is a safe alternative to embolization and can be performed in conjunction with staging laparoscopy for patients with esophageal cancer.

Accelerated growth of bariatric surgery with the introduction of minimally invasive surgery.

HYPOTHESIS: An increase in national utilization of bariatric surgery correlates with the dissemination of laparoscopic bariatric surgery. DESIGN: Evaluation of Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 1998 through 2002. SETTING: National database. PATIENTS: A total of 188,599 patients underwent bariatric surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual total number of bariatric operations, the proportion of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass vs gastroplasty, the proportion of laparoscopic cases, postoperative length of stay, crude in-hospital mortality, and the number of institutions that perform bariatric surgery. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2002, the number of bariatric operations increased from 12,775 cases to 70,256 cases. The rate of bariatric surgery increased from 6.3 to 32.7 procedures per 100,000 adults. Laparoscopic bariatric surgery increased from 2.1% to 17.9%. The number of bariatric surgeons with membership in the American Society for Bariatric Surgery increased from 258 to 631, and the number of institutions that perform bariatric surgery increased from 131 to 323. During this 5-year period, the annual rate of laparoscopic bariatric surgery increased exponentially (by 44-fold) compared with a linear growth in open bariatric surgery (by 3-fold). CONCLUSIONS: Between 1998 and 2002, there was a 450% increase in the number of bariatric operations performed in the United States, a 144% increase in the number of American Society for Bariatric Surgery bariatric surgeons, and a 146% increase in the number of bariatric centers. The growth of laparoscopic bariatric surgery during this 5-year period greatly exceeds that of open bariatric surgery.

Glycolide copolymer staple-line reinforcement reduces staple site bleeding during laparoscopic gastric bypass: a prospective randomized trial.

HYPOTHESIS: The use of staple-line reinforcement sleeves during laparoscopic gastric bypass reduces staple-line bleeding, which may translate into a reduction in the rate of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Thirty-four patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass were randomly assigned to receive either no reinforcement (control group, n = 17) or reinforcement of the staple line with glycolic copolymer sleeves (treatment group, n = 17). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic data, the number of stapler loads used, the number of staple-line bleeding sites, the amount of blood loss, the length of time required to obtain hemostasis of the staple lines, operative time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and serial hemoglobin levels. RESULTS: The mean number of stapler loads used was similar between groups. The mean number of staple-line bleeding sites was significantly fewer in the treatment group for division of gastric tissue (0.4 vs 2.5 bleeding sites), jejunal tissue (0.1 vs 0.6 bleeding site), and mesenteric tissue (0 vs 0.8 bleeding site). The mean blood loss was lower in the treatment group (84 vs 129 mL). Staple misfire occurred in 1 (0.7%) of 143 stapler loads used in the treatment group compared with 0 (0%) of 138 stapler loads used in the control group. The time to obtain staple-line hemostasis was shorter in the treatment group (1.2 vs 10.1 minutes). The total operative time was similar between groups. There was no mortality or postoperative leaks. One patient in the control group had postoperative gastrointestinal hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion and reoperation. There was no significant difference in the mean hemoglobin level between groups on the first postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: The use of glycolide copolymer staple-line reinforcement sleeves in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass is safe and significantly reduces staple-line bleeding sites and may reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Staged laparoscopic Roux-en-Y: a novel two-stage bariatric operation as an alternative in the super-obese with massively enlarged liver.

In a subset of super-obese patients, the one-stage laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In a previous effort to reduce the perioperative risks associated with the super-obese, a two-stage operation was devised. This two-stage operation consisted of a sleeve gastrectomy (1st stage) followed by a RYGBP or duodenal switch procedure (2nd stage). We find that the primary limiting factor making laparoscopic gastric bypass challenging in the super-obese is the volume of the left lobe of the liver. A greatly thickened left lobe of the liver obscures visualization of the gastroesophageal junction and angle of His so that a sleeve gastrectomy is difficult to construct. In this report, we describe a novel method utilizing a staged Roux-en-Y procedure. Instead of performing a restrictive operation (sleeve gastrectomy) as the initial procedure, we fashion a modified Roux-en-Y with a low gastrojejunal anastomosis and a larger gastric pouch encompassing the gastric fundus. The low anastomosis obviates the need for exposure of the gastro-esophageal junction and angle of His. At the 2nd stage procedure, completion sleeve gastrectomy of the gastric fundus is performed at an interval of 6-12 months after the 1st stage operation.

Bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement for laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery.

Laparoscopic gastrointestinal (GI) surgery often requires transection and reconstruction of the GI tract and division of vascular pedicles. Intraoperative staple line bleeding and postoperative GI hemorrhage are reported complications. Prevention of staple line bleeding includes oversewing of the staple line or more recently the use of staple line reinforcement sleeves as an adjunct on the stapler. The results of bioabsorbable glycolide copolymer sleeves (Seamguard, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, AZ, USA) as staple line reinforcement during 44 laparoscopic GI operations were reviewed. The charts were analyzed retrospectively for demographics, quantity of staple line reinforcement material used, operative time, blood loss, intraoperative complications, postoperative bleeding or leak, and serial hemoglobin. The study group of 44 patients included 17 males and 27 females, with a median age of 44 years. The laparoscopic GI operations performed were laparoscopic cystgastrostomy (n=1), esophagus cancer staging (n=2), esophagectomy (n=2), colectomy (n=3), gastrectomy (n=5), appendectomy (n=9), and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n=22). The median number of staple line reinforcement sleeves used per operation was one for appendectomy and laparoscopic cancer staging, five for gastrectomy and esophagectomy, and seven for gastric bypass and colectomy. The mean blood loss was 86 +/- 22 mL. No intraoperative staple line disruptions occurred. Intraoperative staple line bleeding was minimal and few staple lines required oversewing. One patient developed GI hemorrhage on postoperative day five after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. The mean hemoglobin decreased from 13.9 +/- 1.6 g/dL at baseline to 12.6 +/-1.4 g/dL on the first postoperative day. No postoperative leaks or abscesses occurred. This study demonstrates that bioabsorbable glycolide copolymer staple line sleeves is safe and effective in prevention of intraoperative staple line bleeding and postoperative GI hemorrhage in 44 intra-abdominal GI operations.

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage after laparoscopic gastric bypass.

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a potential perioperative complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The surgeon performing laparoscopic gastric bypass should understand the need for early recognition and management of this complication, as it can be life-threatening. This paper discusses the incidence and clinical presentation of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, mechanisms for hemorrhage, management options, and possible methods of prevention.