Effect of Standardizing the Incision Line on Delayed Gastric Emptying After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Preliminary Analysis

Abstract

Background The use of totally laparoscopic surgery with Billroth-I reconstruction (delta-shaped anastomosis) has rapidly become widespread in recent years. However, we experienced delayed gastric emptying (DGE) in the early period after introduction of this technique. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports that mention the incision line when discussion prevention of DGE in distal gastrectomy. In the present study, we standardized the surgical techniques, including the gastric incision line, and compared the short-term results before and after standardization. Methods A total of 86 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty-eight procedures were performed in the early period, 58 procedures were performed in the late period, and the 2 groups were compared retrospectively. Results The operation time decreased significantly after standardization from 288 to 224 minutes (P < 0.001). The median value of perioperative bleeding volume decreased from 22.5 to 12.5 mL (P = 0.060). There were no postoperative complications related to the site of anastomosis in either group. Five cases of DGE (17.8%) were noted in the early period, but only 2 cases (3.4%) were noted in the late period (P = 0.022). Conclusions Standardization of the incision line after laparoscopic gastrectomy resulted in a decrease in the incidence of DGE.