A novel procedure for Roux-en-Y reconstruction following laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy: transoral placement of anvil and intracorporeal gastrojejunostomy via umbilical mini-laparotomy

We describe herein our procedures for Roux-en-Y reconstruction using a transoral anvil following laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG). The procedure consists of three technical processes: transoral placement of the anvil with the head pre-tilted, extracorporeal preparation of the Roux-en-Y limb, and intracorporeal gastrojejunostomy with a circular stapler introduced via an umbilical mini-laparotomy. We applied the procedure to 33 patients with early gastric cancer between December 2008 and June 2010. None of the patients suffered from surgical complications related either to the transoral placement of the anvil or the anastomoses. The postoperative wound appearance was much less conspicuous than that of conventional laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, because our procedure needed only a 4-cm mini-laparotomy on the umbilicus, except for the trocar ports. This technique involving transoral anvil placement enables intracorporeal anastomosis for gastrojejunostomy via an umbilical mini-laparotomy, and may be one of the surgical choices for anastomosis and Roux-en-Y reconstruction following LADG.