The Learning Curve of Linear-Shaped Gastroduodenostomy Associated with Totally Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy

Linear-shaped gastroduodenostomy (LSGD) is a new method of intracorporeal reconstruction that is simpler to perform and associated with a lower rate of bile reflux than delta-shaped anastomosis. Here, we analyzed the learning curve of LSGD in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

The cumulative sum method was used to retrospectively analyze consecutive gastric cancer patients undergoing intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy after distal gastrectomy between January 2009 and May 2016. The duration of surgery, postoperative complications, hospital stay, and endoscopic findings in the postoperative period and the first, third, and fifth year were evaluated according to the two phases of the learning curve (learning period versus mastery period).

Data from 222 patients were included in the analysis. The LSGD learning period was 29 cases. The surgical time in mastery period was significantly shorter than the learning period (124.9 ± 34.5 versus 168.2 ± 42.0 min, p < 0.001). The incidence of minor complications was significantly reduced after the learning period (p = 0.041), although there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of major complications. The long-term endoscopic findings showed that the presence of residual food decreased over the time (p = 0.022).

LSGD can be mastered easily after a reasonable number of cases and was associated with safe and satisfactory short- and long-term outcomes before and after learning curve.