Background: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has proven to be oncologically feasible and safe. Over the last decade, a new philosophy of MIS reducing abdominal trauma and improving cosmetic results has been made popular. The authors report a three-trocar laparoscopic total gastrectomy combined with a D2 lymphadenectomy for smaller curvature gastric adenocarcinoma.
Video: A 52-year-old woman presenting with a non-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma at the incisura angularis was admitted to our department. Preoperative work-up showed a T3N+M0 tumor. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, laparoscopy was scheduled. Three ports (5mm, 12mm, 5mm) were placed in the abdomen. Exposure of the operative field was improved with percutaneous sutures. En-bloc total gastrectomy and omentectomy were performed with a D2 lymphadenectomy, including the nodes of stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a, 8p, 9, 10, 11p, 11d, and 12a. A completely manual end-to-side esophagojejunostomy, and a linear mechanical side-to-side jejunojejunostomy were performed, with closure of both mesenteric and mesocolic defects. The specimen was retrieved through a suprapubic access.
Results: Operative time was 4 hours and 45 minutes (anastomosis: 30) and perioperative bleeding amounted to 100cc. The pathological report confirmed the presence of a non-differentiated adenocarcinoma, mucinous, G3, interesting the gastric wall completely, with 63 (4 positive) nodes removed; 7 edition UICC stage: pT4aN2aM0; keratine AE1/AE3 negative, HER2/neu and HER2/CEP17 non-amplified. During the postoperative follow-up, no recurrence was demonstrated at 12 months.
Conclusions: Reduced port laparoscopic surgery provides the same quality of oncologic surgery as conventional multiport laparoscopy. However, a superior cosmesis and a reduced abdominal trauma are offered.