Laparoscopic gastrectomy: five cases

We present the results of five patients who underwent gastrectomy using a laparoscopic technique. All patients had an intracorporeal resection of the antrum followed by an antecolic intracorporeal gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II). Two patients also had bilateral truncal vagotomy, and one had a Roux-en-Y component to the gastrojejunostomy. Indications were (a) intractable ulcer disease in two patients; (b) gastric outlet obstruction due to duodenal ulcer in one; (c) chronic, severe gastrointestinal blood loss from bile reflux gastritis in one; and (d) palliation of a superficial carcinoma in one. Except for one patient who had postoperative gastric atony, there were no complications or operative mortality. Short-term follow-up ranging from 9 to 34 months has revealed one patient with recurrent ulcer symptoms, but the other four have had control of their disease.