Short-term outcomes depending on type of oesophagojejunostomy in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: retrospective study based on a Korean Nationwide Survey for Gastric Cancer in 2019.

Background: The study aimed to assess postoperative complication rates of different oesophagojejunostomy (EJ) techniques used in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 1155 patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy were retrospectively selected from the data obtained from the Korean Nationwide Survey for gastric cancer in 2019. Morbidity rate was compared between patients who received intracorporeal or extracorporeal EJ using linear or circular staplers during laparoscopic total gastrectomy. The variables of the groups were balanced using the inverse probability of treatment weighting.

Results: Seven hundred and seventy-three patients received intracorporeal EJ using a linear stapler (IL), 137 received intracorporeal EJ using a circular stapler (IC), 134 received extracorporeal EJ using a linear stapler (EL) and 111 received extracorporeal EJ using a circular stapler (EC). The overall complication rates were lower in the extracorporeal group (EL: 13.4% versus EC: 12.6%) compared to the intracorporeal group (IL: 22.6% versus IC: 17.5%) (P = 0.006). Fewer major complications were observed in the extracorporeal group (EL: 1.4% versus EC: 1.8%) compared to the intracorporeal group (IL: 9.4% versus IC: 7.3%) (P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in EJ-related complications between the groups (P = 0.418 in EJ leakage and P = 0.474 in EJ stricture). Multivariable analysis showed that the IL method correlated with more overall and major complications than the extracorporeal method.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that despite its widespread use, the IL method is a challenging procedure with higher complication rates than the extracorporeal method. Further high-quality studies are required to confirm the results.