[Technique of intracorporeal gastrointestinal anastomosis after total laparoscopic gastrectomy]

Malignant or benign diseases of stomach are very common in China. The application of laparoscopy surgery in gastric diseases is a remarkable symbol of current gastric surgery. Laparoscopic assisted radical gastrectomy has gained widespread acceptance for the treatment of gastric cancer. Total laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, which means the gastric resection, lymph nodes dissection and gastrointestinal anastomosis are entirely performed in intracorporeally, is the inheritance and progression of laparoscopic assisted radical gastrectomy. However, controversy still exists regarding the risk and difficulty of intracorporeal anastomosis. In Asian countries including China, total laparoscopic radical gastrectomy has not been extensively performed yet. This review focuses on the issues related to intracorporeal gastrointestinal reconstruction in laparoscopic procedure, such as its history and current status, as well as the surgical technique and risk.