OBJECTIVETo study the safety and feasibility of transorally inserted anvil (OrVil(TM)) in laparoscopic-assisted radical resection for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG).

METHODSClinical data (operative time, rate of thoracotomy, residual cancer in the proximal margin, and postoperative recovery) of 72 patients suffered from Siewert type II AEG were analyzed retrospectively, including 46 cases of applying OrVil(TM) in digestive tract reconstruction for laparoscopic-assisted radical resection and 26 cases of applying pouch clamp embedding anvil, between May 2009 and August 2012 in Department of Minimally Invasive Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute.

RESULTSThe length between proximal margin and superior border of tumor was (2.5±1.5) cm in OrVil(TM) group, significantly longer than that in the traditional group [(1.6±1.1) cm, P<0.01]. Moreover, the intraoperative frozen pathological positive incidence of cancer remnant was 2.2% (1/46), and rate of thoracotomy was 0, both of which were significantly lower as compared to the traditional group [23.1% (6/26) and 15.4% (4/26) respectively, both P<0.01]. However, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications did not differ between the two groups (both P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAs for laparoscopic-assisted Siewert type II AEG radical resection, application of OrVil(TM) in digestive tract reconstruction is a safe surgical procedure, and can effectively reduce the rate of intra-operative thoracotomy, which is beneficial to postoperative recovery.