[Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer]

Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) was originally proposed by Maki et al for gastric ulcer. Recently this operation with lymph node dissection has been adopted for patients with early gastric cancer locating at antrum and body of the stomach in Japan. But standard procedure of this operation has not been established yet. Grade of lymph node dissection, preservation of pyloric branch and indication criteria are fairly dependent on each surgeon when PPG is applied for gastric cancer. Although the results of this operation is not accumulated enough, it is considered that this operation may have benefits for decrease of postoperative chronic morbidity with acceptable cancer curativity as compared to conventional distal gastrectomy, Billroth-I procedure.