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Technique of Vagus‐Nerve Sparing Laparoscopy‐Assisted Distal Gastrectomy
Author(s) -
Kojima Kazuyuki,
Yamashita Toshiki,
Inokuchi Mikito,
Sugihara Kenichi
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
digestive endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.5
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1443-1661
pISSN - 0915-5635
DOI - 10.1046/j.1443-1661.2002.00178.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gastrectomy , vagus nerve , laparoscopy , surgery , complication , cancer , stomach , gastroenterology , stimulation
Vagus‐nerve sparing distal gastrectomy (Vs‐DG) is a procedure that has been introduced to improve the quality of life for patients with early gastric cancer. We successfully performed this novel procedure for 40 consecutive patients with early gastric lesions located in the middle or lower thirds of the stomach between January 1999 and April 2001 using laparoscopic techniques (Vagus‐nerve sparing laparoscopy‐assisted distal gastrectomy). Vagus‐nerve sparing distal gastrectomy involves preserving the hepatic and celiac branches of the vagus, preservation that is expected to be beneficial in lowering the incidence of post–gastrectomy syndromes compared with standard distal gastrectomy. The mean operating time was 247 min. None of the patients had a postoperative complication. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 14 days, and all patients were alive without recurrence after the median follow‐up of 14 months. Thus, this procedure is technically feasible and safe, and might be one of the better treatments for early gastric cancer.