AIM:To introduce a simple and safe anvil insertion technique to esophagus during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG).
METHODS:Between July 2010 and December 2012, 58 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer underwent LTG were enrolled. We performed a simple and safe Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy using the double stapling technique to all patients. Then patients' characteristics, perioperative outcome and histopathologic data were analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS:The mean age and body mass index were 59.3 ± 9.7 years and 22.7 ± 2.6 kg/m 2 . The mean operation, reconstruction and anvil insertion times (from gastric incision to linear stapling) were 251.8 ± 57.0, 43.1 ± 2.8 and 4.2 ± 1.9 min, respectively. Intraoperative blood loss was 204.6 ± 156.3 mL and there was no open conversion. The postoperative complications were in 8 cases (delayed gastric emptying in 4 cases, pulmonary complication in 2 cases, pancreatitis in 1 case, anastomotic stricture in 1 case). Anastomotic stricture occurred after discharge and was recovered by endoscopic intervention. The patients were discharged at a mean of 9.6 ± 2.0 d after surgery. Neither leakage nor bleeding from the esophagojejunostomy occurred postoperatively. The mean proximal margin of specimen was 2.7 ± 2.8 cm CONCLUSION: Roux-en Y esophagojejunostomy using