A total of 211 patients with gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach were clinicopathologically evaluated. Of the 211 patients, 82 had esophageal infiltration and 129 did not. These two groups were compared. The study on patients who had undergone resection and radioisotope (99mTc-phytate) uptake testing revealed that it was important to dissect the lymph nodes (predominantly nodes 7, 9, 11, and 16) during surgery in the patients with gastric cancer plus esophageal infiltration. When cancer infiltration of the esophagus exceeds 1 cm, the preferred surgical procedure is lower esophagectomy and total gastrectomy with abdominal and intrathoracic lymphadenectomy via the left thoracoabdominal approach. When residual cancer is suggested in the more proximal esophageal stump due to intramural metastasis from vascular invasion, rapid pathologic diagnosis should be made by frozen sections during surgery and then subtotal esophagectomy by blunt removal of the esophagus proximally from the aortic arch using a left thoracotomy considered.

Carcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Endoscopic evaluation of gastric cancer infiltrating the lower esophagus.

Endoscopic and histopathological findings were compared in 74 patients with gastric cancer infiltrating the lower esophagus who had undergone gastrectomy to evaluate mode of esophageal infiltration. There were no early cancers. Cancer infiltration modes were histopathologically broken down into three types: superficial, whole layer, and deep layer. Endoscopic findings were broken down into five types for proximal infiltration. Endoscopy used for histological evaluation frequently revealed the protruded type to be whole layer and had a highly accurate diagnosis rate (94%); it revealed the histology of the other four types to be primarily superficial. Extent of cancer invasion was underestimated in giant-rugae tumors (40%), as endoscopy could barely detect the small nest of esophageal infiltrations. Lugol staining was useful in preventing underestimation. For flat cancer, which is poorly demarcated and is often accompanied by vascular invasion, preoperative evaluation is very difficult, requiring preoperative examination of a frozen section taken from the proximal edge of resected specimen.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Experience with the EEA stapler for esophagojejunostomy.

From January 1979 through December 1986, 239 patients underwent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. In 94 patients esophagojejunostomy was performed with the EEA stapler and in 145 patients hand sutures were employed. Operating time (mean +/- SD) was 288 +/- 60 minutes in the stapled group and 306 +/- 75 minutes in the sutured group (p less than 0.05). The length of the resected esophagus (mean +/- SD) was 19 +/- 17 mm in the former and 14 +/- 14 mm in the latter (p less than 0.01). The rate of leakage was 7.4% in the former and 13.8% in the latter with no significant difference. Five patients (3.4%) died within 30 days after sutured anastomosis and in two of them death was caused by anastomotic leakage. There was no operative death in the stapled group. It seemed that the stapler was able to simplify and facilitate esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy and that anastomosis with the stapler was at least as reliable as that with hand sutures.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of postoperative life in gastric cancer patients seventy years of age and over.

A questionnaire on health and daily life was mailed to patients who had undergone gastrectomy between 1976 and 1985. Replies came from 66 patients aged 70 and over at the time of operation (the elderly group), and 189 who were under 70 at the time of the questionnaire (the controls). Fifty-two percent of the elderly group were under medical treatment, whereas only 37% of the controls were (p less than 0.01). Preoperatively, 79% of the elderly group "could go out and do work", but at the time of the questionnaire only 56% (p less than 0.01) could. Forty percent of the elderly group who had worked before the operation retired after surgery. Employment of the males was: under 60 (98%), 60-64 (84%), 65-69 (58%), 70-74 (45%), 75-79 (57%), 80 and over (27%). These percentages were similar to the employment rates of male citizens of the same age groups in Tokyo.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer.

From 1969 through 1984, 304 case of early gastric cancer (EGC) were resected. Nodal status was studied in 272 cases in which lymph node dissection was performed. The lymph nodes were negative for metastasis in 90% of the cases. In 7%, metastasis was noted in the Group 1 lymph nodes alone and in 3%, as far as the Group 2 nodes. But in no case were the Group 3 involved. The 10-year survival rate was poorer in patients with positive nodes than in those with negative nodes (52.8% vs. 94.1%). Cancer recurred more often in patients who had no lymph node dissection than in those with node dissection (9.4% vs. 1.5%). Lymph node metastasis was more frequent in the following EGC types: macroscopically combined type, over 5 cm, and with submucosal invasion. Dissection as far as the Group 2 nodes should be routinely performed even in EGC, especially in cases with the above-mentioned characteristics.

Follow-Up Studies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnosis of ischemic heart disease by dipyridamole-stress two-dimensional echocardiography].

The diagnostic usefulness of dipyridamole-stress two-dimensional echocardiography was assessed in 82 patients consisting of 27 patients with angina pectoris, 42 with myocardial infarction, and 13 control subjects. Two-dimensional echocardiographic monitoring was performed during dipyridamole infusion: 0.56 mg/kg for 4 minutes, then discontinuation for 4 minutes, followed by a final infusion of 0.28 mg/kg for 2 minutes. The cumulative dose was 0.84 mg/kg. Worsening or fixed wall motion abnormality with unaffected baseline indicated a positive finding. All patients underwent coronary angiography. The sensitivity and specificity of dipyridamole-stress two-dimensional echocardiography for diagnosis of significant coronary artery stenosis (> or = 75%) were 84% (58/69) and 92% (12/13), respectively. The sensitivity of this method for the branches of the coronary artery was 85% for the left anterior descending artery, 80% for the right coronary artery, and 75% for the left circumflex artery. The sensitivity for single-, double-, triple-vessel disease was 75%, 81% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the dipyridamole electrocardiogram (ST depression more than 0.1 mV) were 33% (23/69) and 77% (10/13), respectively. The appearance of dipyridamole-stress induced wall motion abnormality was significantly earlier than those of chest pain and ST segment depression. Side effects were observed in 43% (35/82) of patients, but were only mild and transient. Dipyridamole-stress two-dimensional echocardiography is the best method for detecting coronary artery stenosis and predicting the localization of lesion sites.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Technical devices in jejunal pouch reconstruction following total gastrectomy, including postoperative results.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Either straight Roux-en-Y anastomosis or jejunal interposition used to be adopted following total gastrectomy. However, dissatisfaction with regard to postoperative quality of life has prompted the development of new techniques. The purpose of this study is to describe and assess the authors' technical devices in jejunal pouch (J-pouch) reconstruction following total gastrectomy and the results of these operations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of 17 patients with malignant gastric disease (nine with J-pouch interposition, eight with J-pouch Roux-en-Y reconstruction) was performed. To facilitate the side-to-side anastomosis of the jejunal loop, the authors used an autosuture instrument. The anastomosis was then checked for hemostasis using a vaginoscope. RESULTS: An Endo GIA with a 60-mm long white cartridge (closed height of staples, 1.0 mm) is the instrument of choice to create the J-pouch. This autosuture instrument fires triple staggered staple lines, which minimizes bleeding from the anastomosed site and reduces operative time. No anastomotic leaks were associated with the autosuture instrument. The vaginoscope facilitates a direct observation of the staple lines internally and if necessary, enables secure hemostasis with sutures. Bowel motility was satisfactory for both surgical procedures, as measured by the percentage of radiopaque markers which were expelled from the pouch. There were no serious complications, and all patients have currently survived, a maximum of 5 years and 6 months after surgery, except for one patient who died from recurrent disease. CONCLUSION: The authors' procedures for J-pouch reconstruction are advantageous due to a favorable postoperative quality of life, with low complication rates.

Adult↗