Background: Reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) at the end of surgery is important for reducing postoperative residual NMB; this is associated with an increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Moreover, PPCs are associated with poor prognosis after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lobectomy. We compared the effects of two reversal agents, sugammadex and neostigmine, on the incidence of PPCs and duration of hospital stay in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy. Methods: After VATS lobectomy was completed under neuromuscular monitoring, the sugammadex group (n = 46) received sugammadex 2 mg/kg, while the neostigmine group (n = 47) received neostigmine 0.05 mg/kg with atropine 0.02 mg/kg after at least the third twitch in response to the train of four stimulation. The primary outcome was incidence of PPCs. The secondary outcomes were duration of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of PPCs for both the sugammadex and neostigmine groups (32.6% and 40.4%, respectively; risk difference = 0.08; 95% confidence interval = [−0.12, 0.27]; P = 0.434). The lengths of hospital (P = 0.431) and ICU (P = 0.964) stays were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions The clinical use of sugammadex and neostigmine in NMB reversal for patients undergoing VATS lobectomy was not significantly different in the incidence of PPCs and duration of hospital and ICU stay.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection for type II and III gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed surgical outcomes in 67 consecutive patients with type II and III GEJ cancers that were treated by the surgical resection between 2004 and 2008. RESULTS: Thirty (45%) patients had type II and 37 (55%) had type III tumor. Among the 65 (97%) patients with curative surgery, 21 (31%) patients underwent the extended total gastrectomy with trans-hiatal distal esophageal resection, and in 44 (66%) patients, abdominal total gastrectomy alone was done. Palliative gastrectomy was performed in two patients due to the accompanying peritoneal metastasis. The postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 21.4% and 1.5%, respectively. After a median follow up of 36 months, the overall 3-years was 68%, without any differences between the Siewert types or the operative approaches (transhiatal approach vs. abdominal approach alone). On the univariate analysis, the T stage, N stage and R0 resection were found to be associated with the survival, and multivariate analysis revealed that the N stage was a poor independent prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: Type II and III GEJ cancers may successfully be treated with the abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection in the Korean population.
Esophagogastric Junction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Postsurgical anemia is one of the common unpleasant postoperative sequels during the early postoperative period after gastrectomy, for which no standard care has been established. To facilitate proper management, we investigated the clinical features of postsurgical anemia and sought to identify the factors affecting its subsequent recovery. METHODS: A retrospective review of 406 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy without systemic chemotherapy between August 2008 and September 2009. Clinical courses of postsurgical anemia were monitored at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. Clinicopathological factors affecting recovery of postsurgical anemia were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: The study subjects consisted of 265 males and 141 females (mean age, 61.8 years). After operation, 318 (78.3%) presented with postsurgical anemia, and 217 (66.7%) and 47 (11.6%) had mild or moderate anemia, respectively, at the time of discharge. During the follow-up, 173 (54.4%) of the 318 with postsurgical anemia showed a spontaneous recovery at 3 months post-surgery, but no significant changes were observed in postsurgical anemia at 6 or 12 months post-surgery. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that old age (> or =60 years), preoperative anemia, anemia severity (moderate anemia), and total gastrectomy were independent factors that adversely affect the spontaneous recovery of post-surgical anemia after gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: Proper intervention may be required for postsurgical anemia that does not achieve a spontaneous recovery until postoperative 3 months. However, proper management, such as the use of iron or the best route for iron supplementation, needs to be evaluated in future clinical trials.
Anemia ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Iron ; Iron Metabolism Disorders ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Postoperative Period ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

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PURPOSE: Laparoscopic gastrectomy in obese patients has been investigated in several studies, but its feasibility has rarely been examined in morbidly obese patients, such as in those with a body mass index (BMI) of > or =30 kg/m2. The present study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy in morbidly obese patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,512 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) were divided into three groups: normal (BMI<25 kg/m2, n=996), obese (BMI 25~30 kg/m2, n=471), and morbidly obese (BMI> or =30 kg/m2, n=45). Short-term surgical outcomes, including the course of hospitalization and postoperative complications, were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: The morbidly obese group had a significantly longer operating time (240 minutes vs. 204 minutes, P=0.010) than the normal group, but no significant differences were found between the groups with respect to intraoperative blood loss or other complications. In the morbidly obese group, the postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 13.3% and 0%, respectively, and the mean length of hospital stay was 8.2 days, which were not significantly different from those in the normal group. Subgroup analysis showed that postoperative complication rates were not high in morbidly obese patients, independent of the type of anastomosis technique used and level of lymph node dissection. CONCLUSIONS: LDG is technically feasible and safe in morbidly obese patients with a BMI of > or =30 kg/m2 and early gastric carcinoma. Except for a longer operating time, LDG might represent a reasonable treatment option in these patients.
Body Mass Index ; Gastrectomy* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mortality ; Obesity, Morbid ; Postoperative Complications ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Information regarding antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) for gastric cancer surgery is limited. The present study investigated the efficacy of single-dose AMP for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2011 and 2013, 1,330 gastric carcinoma surgery patients were divided into two AMP administration groups depending on the duration of treatment. Postoperative outcomes including morbidity and SSI were compared between the two groups overall and in matched patients. Risk factors for SSI were analyzed. RESULTS: The extended group (n=1,129) received AMP until postoperative day 1 and the single-dose group (n=201) received singledose AMP only during an operation. Postoperatively, there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to overall morbidity, mortality, or length of hospital stay. The SSI rate of the single-dose group was not significantly different from that of the extended group overall (4.5% vs. 5.5%, respectively, P=0.556) or in matched patients (4.5% vs. 4.0%, respectively, P=0.801). There was no increase in the SSI rate of the single-dose group compared to the extended group in subgroups based on different clinicopathological and operative factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed male gender, open surgery, and operating time (> or =180 minutes) as independent risk factors for SSI. CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose AMP showed no increase in the postoperative SSI rate compared to postoperative extended use in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. The efficacy of single-dose AMP requires further investigation in randomized clinical trials specific to gastric cancer surgery.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgical Wound Infection