BACKGROUND:Patients with peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer show poor prognosis with standard systemic chemotherapy. This prospective multicenter phase II clinical trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal paclitaxel combined with systemic S-1 plus oxaliplatin for patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. PATIENT AND METHOD:Patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer with histologically or radiologically confirmed peritoneal metastases were eligible for the study. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of eight cycles of intraperitoneal paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, combined with 80 mg/m2 S-1 for days 1-14, and 100 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1, repeated every 21 days. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival. One-year progression-free and overall survival, response rate, and safety were set as the secondary endpoints. RESULT:In total, 28 patients were included in the study, of which 24 were analyzed, with the exception of those lost to follow-up and withdrawal of consent. The 6-months progression-free survival was 82.6 % (95 % CI: 68.5-99.6 %). The one-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 69.6 % (95 % CI: 53.1-91.2 %) and 76.9 % (95 % CI: 61-97 %), respectively. The overall response rate was 41.67 %. The hematologic toxicity profile showed grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities such as leukopenia (20.8 %), neutropenia (41.7 %), and thrombocytopenia (8.3 %). The only non-hematologic adverse event was grade 3 diarrhea. Three (12.5 %) patients experienced intraperitoneal chemoport-related adverse events. CONCLUSION:Bidirectional intraperitoneal paclitaxel with systemic S-1 plus oxaliplatin shows promising efficacy and safety in the treatment of peritoneal metastatic gastric cancer.

PURPOSE:This trial (KLASS-12) compares the efficacy and safety of reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy (RPLG) versus conventional 5-port laparoscopic gastrectomy (CPLG) for early gastric cancer (EGC). MATERIALS AND METHODS:This multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial enrolled patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma (T1N0M0) at 15 university hospitals in Korea. Participants underwent RPLG or CPLG with at least D1+ lymph node dissection. The primary aim of this study was to verify the non-inferiority of RPLG to CPLG in terms of postoperative 30-day complications. RESULTS:From May 2022 to October 2023, 348 patients were randomly assigned to the RPLG and CPLG groups, with 174 patients in each group. After applying the exclusion criteria, 164 and 166 patients from the RPLG and CPLG groups, respectively, were analyzed. Complication rates were 10.4% and 9.2% for the RPLG and CPLG groups, in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, and 10.4% vs. 7.2% in the per-protocol (PP) population. The risk difference was 0.012 (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.051 to 0.075) in the ITT population and 0.031 (95% CI, -0.030 to 0.093) in the PP population. These findings verified the non-inferiority of RPLG to CPLG, with a 10% margin. Additionally, the pain score on postoperative day 5 was significantly lower in the RPLG group (1.6% vs. 1.8%; P=0.028). The 2 groups showed no significant differences in the lymph node yield, conversion rate, or length of hospital stay. RPLG was not an independent risk factor for complications. CONCLUSIONS:RPLG is a feasible and safe alternative for patients with EGC, and its short-term outcomes are not inferior to those of CPLG. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0006935.

© 2023 The Korean Association of Internal Medicine This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. pISSN 1226-3303 eISSN 2005-6648 http://www.kjim.org IMAGE OF INTEREST

Background/objective: Laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) herniorrhaphy is among the current leading inguinal hernia repair methods. This study aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of a junior surgeon's first experience with laparoscopic TEP herniorrhaphy. Methods: A retrospective review was performed between January 2017 and December 2019 to analyze the medical records of patients with inguinal hernia who underwent laparoscopic TEP herniorrhaphy. The operative outcomes and complications of patients undergoing surgery by an experienced surgeon (group A, n = 100) were compared with those undergoing surgery by a junior surgeon (group B, n = 100). Results: The mean operative time for group B was significantly longer than that for group A (52.0 +/- 15.1 min vs 60.1 +/- 17.4 min; P = 0.03). A statistical difference was also found in the mean postoperative stay (1.1 +/- 0.3 d vs 1.4 +/- 0.7 d; P = 0.02) between the two groups. There were 2 and 3 cases of recurrence in these two groups respectively (P = 0.72). Considering the operating time as a variable of learning curve, significant stabilization can be achieved after 30 cases (67.3 +/- 17.8 min vs 53.1 +/- 11.1 min; P = 0.02). Conclusions: The surgical outcomes of laparoscopic TEP herniorrhaphy performed by a well-trained junior surgeon were similar to the outcomes of an experience surgeon. (c) 2021 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Robotic Surgery Association. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Intersigmoid hernia is a rare form of internal hernia presenting with symptoms of bowel obstruction. A 32-year-old male visited the emergency department with chief complaint of abrupt onset of abdominal pain without any history of prior abdominal surgery. The initial abdominal X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan exhibited mild distension of small bowel and paralytic ileus with no definitive obstruction site. However, a 12-h follow-up abdominal X-ray showed manifestations of newly appeared step-ladder sign and the CT scan displayed mechanical obstruction in the left lower quadrant area. Upon laparoscopic examination, herniation of small bowel was observed through the intersigmoid recess. Reduction was performed for about 5 cm of incarcerated ileum, and there was no sign of necrosis or lasting damage. The patient was discharged without complications. Laparoscopic management of intersigmoid hernia is possible with early surgical management of mechanical obstruction.

BACKGROUND:Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is a fatal complication of peptic ulcer disease, which requires emergency surgery. Laparoscopic repair is the widely accepted and effective method for the treatment of PPU. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of duet laparoscopic repair of PPU with knotless barbed sutures.METHODS:From January 2013 to May 2019, 40 patients with PPU underwent laparoscopic primary repair and omentopexy at the Dankook University Hospital. The operative outcomes and complications of patients undergoing surgery using continuous suturing with absorbable knotless barbed sutures (group A, n=15) were compared with those undergoing surgery with conventional interrupted sutures (group B, n=25).RESULTS:The mean operative time was significantly shorter in group A than group B (84.4±39.8 vs. 104.2±49.4 min, P<0.001). There were no differences in other operative outcomes or postoperative complications (group A vs. group B, 20.0% vs. 24.0%, respectively; P=0.249) between the two groups. The mean operation time spent for laparoscopic sutures and omentopexy was 22.7 minutes.CONCLUSIONS:The findings of the current study, albeit performed retrospectively at a single institution, suggested that duet laparoscopic repair of PPU with knotless barbed sutures might be considered as an alternative option, especially in hospitals lacking manpower.

PURPOSE:We designed a new regimen by combining intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel (PTX) with systemic S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. This dose-escalation study aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of IP PTX administered weekly to patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Eight cycles of IP PTX plus SOX regimen were administered to the patients. S-1 was administered orally twice daily at a dose of 80 mg/m2/day for 14 consecutive days, followed by 7 days of rest. Intravenous oxaliplatin was administered at a fixed dose of 100 mg/m2 on day 1, while IP PTX was administered on days 1 and 8. The initial dose of IP PTX was 40 mg/m2, and the dose escalation was set in units of 20 mg/m2 up to 80 mg/m2. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were defined as grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities, grade 4 leukopenia, grade 3 febrile neutropenia, and grade 3 thrombocytopenia. RESULTS:Nine patients were included in the study. No DLTs were observed in any of the enrolled patients. Therefore, the MTD was not reached, and the RD of IP PTX was determined to be 80 mg/m2. Four patients (44%) showed a decreased peritoneal cancer index score on second-look laparoscopic examination. CONCLUSIONS:The present study determined the dose for further clinical trials of IP PTX to be 80 mg/m2, when combined with a systemic SOX regimen.

PURPOSE:This study aimed to compare treatment options and outcomes based on peritoneal cancer index (PCI) among patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC).METHODS:Between January 2016 and July 2019, clinicopathological data of patients with AGC diagnosed with PM were reviewed. Different treatment methods were performed according to the PCI score: (1) group A (PCI ≤ 13) received cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with postoperative intraperitoneal (IP) and systemic chemotherapy (n = 29), while (2) group B (PCI > 13) received IP chemotherapy with systemic chemotherapy (n = 22).RESULTS:Clinical outcomes of 51 patients at the Dankook University Hospital were reviewed. Group A had a significantly lower mean PCI score (9.8 ± 6.9 vs. 32.6 ± 7.1, P < 0.01) than group B, with 25 patients (86.2%) achieving complete cytoreduction. Complications occurred in 16 patients (31.4%), none of who suffered mortality (group A: 11 patients, 37.9% vs. group B: 5 patients, 22.7%; P = 0.25). Among the morbidity, 5 cases (17.2%) and 2 cases (9.1%) exhibited a Clavien-Dindo grade greater than III in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.04). Groups A and B had an overall median survival time of 34.0 and 16.0 months, respectively (P = 0.03).CONCLUSION:Patients with PM of AGC received different treatments according to their PCI score. When accompanied with careful patient selection, our approach may be considered an acceptable option for the treatment of PM of AGC.

Introduction: Laparoscopic surgery is not easily performed by junior surgeons who have limited experience. Aim: To investigate the safety and feasibility of the first experience of junior surgeons with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) who were trained in super high-volume centers. Material and methods: Clinicopathological data from the first 85 LDG cases performed by three gastric cancer surgeons were collected. All three surgeons were trained for > 1 year in super high-volume centers. The surgical and postoperative outcomes of the first experiences of junior surgeons were compared with the short-term outcomes reported in a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study, KLASS-01 trial), conducted by the KLASS group, which is composed of experienced surgeons who practice in a high-volume center. Results: A significantly greater number of older patients with longer operation times and lower estimated blood loss was observed for the junior surgeons than in the KLASS data. Although junior surgeons performed significantly more Billroth II anastomoses with D1+ lymph node dissection, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of hospital stay, number of retrieved lymph nodes, or postoperative morbidity. Conclusions: The surgical outcomes of early gastric cancer managed by laparoscopic surgery performed by welltrained beginners were similar to the outcomes reported in the large-scale trial. Therefore, with regard to the surgical training system, training at super high-volume centers may be considered to provide some assurance in terms of surgical technique-related safety.

PURPOSE:The objective of the present retrospective analysis was to describe the experience of intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in a multicenter setting in Korea.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The medical records of patients with AGC, who were diagnosed with PM between January 2015 and December 2018, were reviewed. IP catheter was placed in the pouch of Douglas and was used for the administration of IP paclitaxel chemotherapy.RESULTS:We reviewed the clinical outcomes of IP paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy administration in 82 patients at six institutions in Korea. Mean number of IP chemotherapy cycles was 6.6. The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 21.9. Postoperative complications related to IP catheter and port were observed in 15 patients. The overall median survival was 20.0 months. A significant difference was observed in the survival rate according to the ascites grade (grade I and II, 24.1 months; grade III and IV, 15.3 months; P=0.014) and PCI grade (grade I, 25.6 months; grade II and III, 16.3 months; P=0.023).CONCLUSIONS:The feasibility of IP paclitaxel and systemic chemotherapy administration was demonstrated in this experience-based retrospective analysis suggesting that the procedure is beneficial in patients with PM of AGC.

Purpose:This study aimed to investigate the current status of bariatric and metabolic surgery in Daejeon and Chungcheong province and to describe the early experiences after public medical insurance coverage in 2019. Materials and Methods:Between January 2019 and August 2019, 64 cases of bariatric and metabolic surgery were performed in patients with morbid obesity or uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. We prospectively collected and analyzed data regarding the patients' demographics and comorbidities, surgical results, and early complications. The patient information before and after the insurance coverage was also compared. Results:The number of surgeries in 9 years has been caught up only in the last 8 months after insurance coverage (58 vs. 64 patients). The mean body mass index was 37.7±5.8 kg/m2 (range, 22.7-52.1 kg/m2). The most frequently performed surgery was sleeve gastrectomy (53 cases, 82.8%), followed by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (9 cases, 14.1%), and adjustable gastric banding (2 cases, 3.1%). Postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients (9.4%), and there was no mortality. The mean operation time (225.3±85.4 vs. 156.1±61.8 min, P<0.001) and postoperative stay (5.9±4.5 vs. 4.3±2.0 days, P=0.013) after the insurance coverage were significantly shorter than those before the insurance coverage. Conclusion:We could assess the patients who had bariatric and metabolic surgery in Daejeon and Chungcheong province after public medical insurance coverage in 2019.

Background There have been very few reports of patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) and colorectal cancer combined with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Case presentation We report the case of a patient with multiple tumors that were found at the same time in the abdomen. The patient was a 77-year-old man who was referred for a gastric GIST. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed the known lesion (a gastric GIST) on the lesser curvature of the upper body and a new lesion on the lesser curvature of the lower body of the stomach with suspicion of EGC. Computed tomography findings confirmed the presence of a GIST in the stomach and revealed two new lesions. One of these lesions was suspected to be a 4-cm submucosal tumor on the anterior wall of the upper body of the stomach. The other was a wall thickening of the descending colon that demonstrated the possibility of malignancy. Synchronous colon cancer was confirmed on colonoscopy. Laparoscopic near-total gastrectomy with D1+ lymph node dissection and left hemicolectomy were performed sequentially without significant events. The patient was discharged without any postoperative complications. Conclusions We reported a rare case of EGC with multiple gastric GISTs combined with synchronous colon cancer.

In this study, we evaluate hematologic change of iron and vitamin B12 on post-operative anemia after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the actual compliance with chemotherapy and analyze several factors affecting the compliance in patients with gastric cancer. Methods From February 2012 to December 2014, we collected data of patients with gastric cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy (TS-1 monotherapy or XELOX: capecitabine/oxaliplatin) in Korea. Results We collected data of 1,089 patients from 31 institutions. The completion rate and dose reduction rate by age (≥60 years vs. <60 years) were 57.5% vs. 76.8% (P < 0.001) and 17.9% vs. 21.3% (P = 0.354); by body mass index (BMI) (≥23 kg/m2 vs. <23 kg/m2) were 70.2% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.019) and 19.2% vs. 19.9% (P = 0.987), respectively. The compliance by American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) classification was as follows: completion rate was 74.4%, 62.8%, and 60% (P = 0.001) and the dose reduction rate was 18.4%, 20.7%, and 17.8% (P = 0.946) in ASA PS classification I, II, and III, respectively. The completion rate of TS-1 and XELOX was 65.9% vs. 70.3% (P = 0.206) and the dose reduction rate was 15.7% vs. 33.6% (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the completion rate of chemotherapy by surgical oncologists and medical oncologists was 69.5% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.028) and the dose reduction rate was 17.4% vs. 22.3% (P = 0.035), respectively. Conclusion The compliance was lower in patients who were older than 60 years, had BMI <23 kg/m2, and had higher ASA PS classification. Furthermore, the patients showed higher compliance when they received chemotherapy from surgical oncologists rather than from medical oncologists.

Background The purpose of case report was to present a rare case of a solitary metastasis of myxoid liposarcoma and discuss the clinical and pathological information for patients treated for metastatic myxoid liposarcoma. Case presentation We report our experience with a case of solitary metastasis of myxoid liposarcoma from the thigh to intraperitoneum. The patient was a 60-year-old man who was referred for abdominal discomfort and fatigue. Enhanced computed tomography showed a 25-cm intra-abdominal tumor. He had undergone a wide local excision for a right thigh myxoid liposarcoma 6 years earlier. At laparotomy, a huge multi-lobular cystic mass was identified at the small bowel mesentery. Wide local excision was performed, and the mass was diagnosed as metastatic myxoid liposarcoma. He was discharged without postoperative complications. Conclusions We experienced a single intraperitoneal metastasis in a patient with myxoid liposarcoma after radical surgery of the primary site.

IMPORTANCE Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is gaining popularity over open distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer because of better early postoperative outcomes. However, to our knowledge, no studies have proved whether laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is oncologically equivalent to open distal gastrectomy. OBJECTIVE To examine whether the long-term survival among patients with stage I gastric cancer undergoing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is noninferior to that among patients undergoing open distal gastrectomy. DESIGN The Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (KLASS) group, which includes 15 surgeons from 13 institutes, conducted a phase 3, multicenter, open-label, noninferiority, prospective randomized clinical trial (KLASS-01) of patients with histologically proven, preoperative clinical stage I gastric adenocarcinoma from January 5, 2006, to August 23, 2010. Survival and recurrence status of the patients was determined in December 2016. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly assigned (1: 1) to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (n = 705) or open distal gastrectomy (n = 711). Of these patients, 85 received a surgical approach opposite the one to which they were randomized (63 randomized to the open surgery group and 22 to the laparoscopic group). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Difference in 5-year overall survival between the laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy groups. The noninferiority margin was pre-specified as -5%(corresponding hazard ratio of 1.54), with an assumed survival of 90% after 5 years in the open surgery group. RESULTS Among the 1416 patients (mean [SD] age, 57.3 [11.1] years; 940 [66.4%] male) included in the study, the 5-year overall survival rates were 94.2% in the laparoscopic group and 93.3% in the open surgery group (log-rank P = .64). Intention-to-treat analysis confirmed the noninferiority of the laparoscopic approach compared with the open approach (difference, 0.9 percentage points; 1-sided 97.5% CI, -1.6 to infinity). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were similar between the 2 groups (97.1% in the laparoscopic group and 97.2% in the open surgery group, log-rank P = .91; difference, -0.03 percentage points; 1-sided 97.5% CI, -1.8 to infinity). Per-protocol analysis results were consistent with the intention-to-treat results for overall and cancer-specific survival rates. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The KLASS-01 trial revealed similar overall and cancer-specific survival rates between patients receiving laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is an oncologically safe alternative to open surgery for stage I gastric cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00452751

Purpose:The standard treatment for gastric subepithelial tumor (SET) is surgical resection, which is primarily performed via laparoscopy. The aims of this study were firstly to evaluate factors influencing morbidity and hospitalization after treatment of gastric SET, and secondly, to figure out the factors how to make shorter hospitalization with equal safety.Methods:We retrospectively enrolled 229 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric wedge resection (LGWR) for gastric SET between August 2003 and December 2015. Patients were divided into two groups: the 3 days or less hospitalization group (N=82, group A) and the greater than 3 days hospitalization group (N=147, group B).Results:Median tumor size was 3.0 cm (range, 0.2~13.0 cm) and mean postoperative hospitalization was 4.27±2.15 days. There were 6 complications (2.6%), with no cases of mortality. In group A, tumors were smaller (3.0±1.1 cm vs. 3.6±1.9 cm, p<0.01) and more likely to be located on the greater curvature (28% vs. 15%, p<0.01) compared with group B. The tumor growth pattern (exophytic tumor: 72% in group A vs. 65% in group B, p=0.25) was not different between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size larger than 5 cm and posterior wall tumor location were risk factors for longer hospital stay.Conclusion:We could reduce the hospitalization of patients with gastric SET less than 5cm sized and located on other than the posterior wall within 3days. Those patients could be a candidate for day surgery.