[Feasibility and safety of laparoscopic purse-string suture clamps and multi-functional seal caps for total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic purse- string suture clamps combined with multi-functional seal caps for esophagojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis during total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy (TLTG). Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study of 42 patients with primary gastric malignancies who underwent TLTG at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University that utilized laparoscopic purse-string suture clamps and multi-functional seal caps for esophagojejunal anastomosis between May, 2024 and January, 2025. The cohort included 33 males and 9 females, with a mean age of (67.7 ±9.5) years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of (23.9±2.9) kg/m². The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classifications were I - II in 40 patients and III in 2 patients, and all patients were definitively diagnosed preoperatively via gastroscopy, dual-energy CT, and/or MRI. Tumor locations included the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) in 28 cases (Siewert type II - III), the upper third of the stomach in 12 cases, and the middle third in 2 cases. The median distance of esophageal invasion was 1.3 cm, though in 10 cases this was ≥2 cm. Preoperative TNM staging was I-II in 17 patients and III in 25 patients. Surgical outcomes including operative time, anastomosis time, intraoperative blood loss, pathological results, and postoperative recovery were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All 42 operations were successful. The mean operative time was(212.5±26.4) minutes, and the average time from multi-functional seal cap placement to completion of the esophagojejunal anastomosis was (54.2±7.5) minutes. Mean intraoperative blood loss was (79.9±21.3) ml. Postoperative pathology confirmed R0 resection in all specimens, with a mean proximal esophageal margin distance of (2.1±1.6) cm. Furthermore, (51.9±15.1) lymph nodes on average were harvested from each patient; the mean time to oral intake was (149.5±41.4) hours; and the mean hospital stay was (11.3±5.4) days. Postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients: anastomotic leakage (n=2), residual intra-abdominal infection (n=1), pulmonary infection (n=3), and Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher complications occurred in 2 patients. No recurrence, mortality, or anastomosis-related complications were observed within a median follow-up of 5.8 months (range 3.5-11.2). Conclusion: We find the application of the laparoscopic purse-string suture clamps and multi-functional seal caps for esophagojejunal anastomosis in TLTG to be safe and feasible, with satisfactory short-term outcomes.