稲葉 一樹

BACKGROUND: Single-port surgery offers improved cosmesis but is technically demanding. The da Vinci™ SP (DVSP) system aims to overcome these challenges; however, rigorous data on the comparison between the DVSP system and the standard multi-port da Vinci™ Xi system (DVXi) are scarce. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of the DVSP with those of the DVXi for robotic distal gastrectomy after adjusting for patient selection bias. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 311 patients undergoing robotic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer between March 2023 and December 2024 at two institutions. Based on patient demographics and tumor characteristics, a 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was performed to mitigate bias. After matching, 36 patients in the DVSP group were compared with 36 patients in the DVXi group. Perioperative outcomes, pathological findings, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The DVSP group had significantly shorter median operative time (329 vs. 414 min, p < 0.001) and console time (261 vs. 332 min, p < 0.001). A significantly higher number of lymph nodes were retrieved in the DVSP group (mean 46 vs. 32, p = 0.04). The median postoperative stay exhibited a trend toward being shorter in the DVSP group (11 vs. 12 days, p = 0.08). No conversions to open or multi-port surgery occurred. The incidence of postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II) was comparable between the groups (8.3% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.48). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, single-port gastrectomy using the DVSP system was safe and feasible in the short-term outcomes compared with multi-port gastrectomy using the DVXi system.

A 76-year-old man underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy for advanced proximal gastric cancer and was diagnosed as pT4aN2M0, pStage ⅢA. Three years postoperatively, abdominal CT revealed a 2-cm mass near the splenic hilum, and further evaluation led to a diagnosis of isolated lymph node recurrence of gastric cancer at the splenic hilum. A total of 11 courses of chemotherapy, including nivolumab combined with SOX regimen, were administered. The lesion remained localized with no new metastases, and surgical resection was planned. Robotic distal pancreatectomy was performed using the da VinciTM SP System. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 10. Pathological examination confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma. As of 4 months after surgery, the patient remains recurrence-free. We present this resected oligometastasis case with a review of the relevant literature.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the potentially serious complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC). Drain amylase level is a predictor of POPF in open and laparoscopic gastrectomy, but no study has focused on minimally invasive surgery (MIS), including robotic gastrectomy (RG). This study assesses the effect of drain amylase levels for POPF in MIS and develop a prediction model in the MIS era. METHODS: This single-institutional retrospective study, conducted from January 2011 to December 2021, included 1,353 who underwent standard MIS for GC. We placed a drain in all patients undergoing MIS gastrectomy and measured the drain amylase level on the first postoperative day (D1Amy). The predictive accuracy of D1Amy for POPF was assessed. Additionally, the entire cohort was randomly categorized into the training (1,048 patients) and validation sets (305 patients) to establish the nomogram. RESULTS: Of the 1353 patients, 530 underwent a robotic approach. POPF and intraabdominal infectious complications of Clavien-Dindo classification grade ≥ II were observed in 80 (5.9%) and 145 (10.7%) patients, respectively. Median D1Amy was 812 U/L. The receiver operating characteristic analysis of D1Amy for POPF revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.888. Multivariate analysis revealed age, tumor location, splenectomy, and D1Amy as significant risk factors for POPF. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.8960, validated with AUC of 0.9259. CONCLUSIONS: We revealed the utility of D1Amy in predicting POPF in MIS gastrectomy. Furthermore, the nomogram, incorporating D1Amy and other clinical factors, was additionally used as a predictive model for POPF.

BACKGROUND: Advanced gastric cancer with gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) causes malnutrition and medication adherence issues, leading to a poor prognosis. We developed a novel multimodal, less invasive treatment approach for gastric cancer patients with symptomatic GOO: laparoscopic stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy (LSPGJ) combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), followed by minimally invasive gastrectomy with reuse of gastrojejunostomy. This study is a retrospective analysis of the safety and feasibility of our treatment strategy. METHODS: In this single-institution retrospective study, we enrolled 54 patients (NAC group, n = 26; upfront gastrectomy group, n = 28) who achieved R0 resection through a minimally invasive approach between 2007 and 2020 and evaluated their short- and long-term outcomes. RESULTS: After LSPGJ, the Gastric Outlet Obstruction Scoring System score significantly improved (p < 0.001). The median relative dose intensity of NAC was 88.2%. Regarding short-term outcomes, there were no differences in postoperative complications, length of postsurgical hospital stay, and adjuvant chemotherapy administration. Although overall survival and relapse-free survival showed trends toward improvement in the NAC group, these differences were not statistically significant. The cumulative incidence curve for recurrence in the NAC group was significantly lower than that of the upfront gastrectomy group (p = 0.041). Recurrence and hematogenous metastasis were significantly lower in the NAC group (p = 0.031 and 0.041, respectively) than in the upfront gastrectomy group. A forest plot revealed that NAC yielded favorable outcomes, particularly for patients with a body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2, cT4, or cN1. CONCLUSIONS: LSPGJ combined with NAC followed by minimally invasive gastrectomy was a safe and feasible treatment strategy for patients with advanced gastric cancer with symptomatic GOO. This procedure may contribute to the early recovery of oral intake and help maintain NAC dose intensity, potentially improving prognosis, particularly for patients with low BMI and advanced-stage disease.

Concurrent direct and indirect inguinal, femoral, and obturator hernias are rare. This case report describes a rare case treated using the laparoscopic approach. A 68-year-old female patient presented with a moving left inguinal lump and pain. Physical examination and abdominal computed tomography scan revealed the coexistence of a left inguinal hernia or Nuck canal hydrocele and a left femoral hernia. The patient underwent laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal repair, and all four orifices were covered with one mesh. The patient was discharged on the second postoperative day without any complications. The concurrent presence of four hernias on the same side is rare and has not been previously reported. The laparoscopic approach is useful in such cases because it allows visualization of multiple hernia orifices from the intra-abdominal cavity.

BACKGROUND: A giant inguinoscrotal hernia is a rare inguinal hernia that extends below the midpoint of the inner thigh while standing. Although reports of laparoscopic surgery for giant inguinoscrotal hernias have increased, the risk of delayed hematocele has not yet been clarified. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old man was evaluated for a left giant inguinoscrotal hernia, and laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal repair (TAPP) was performed. In the procedure, the distal hernia sac was not resected. The postoperative course was uneventful for 3 months postsurgery, after which he complained of giant scrotal swelling, which gradually grew to 13 cm. It did not improve with several punctures and caused dysuria because of increased pressure on the urethra. Thus, reoperation was performed 9 months after surgery. The hematocele consisted of a thickened hernia sac, which was tightly adhered to the spermatic cord and testicle. The hernia sac including the hematocele was removed from the scrotum through an anterior approach, preserving the spermatic cord and testicle. On the third postoperative day, an orchiectomy was performed due to poor testicular perfusion caused by spermatic cord injury. There was no hematocele or hernia at the 3-year follow-up. The remnant sac after laparoscopic TAPP for a giant inguinoscrotal hernia possibly caused refractory hematocele. Additionally, the removal of the hernia sac, including hematocele, from the spermatic cord and testicle has a risk of inducing injury, leading to orchiectomy. CONCLUSION: Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of delayed refractory hematoceles after laparoscopic TAPP for giant inguinoscrotal hernias when the hernia sac is not resected.

A 46-year-old man was referred to further treatment for a 20 mm submucosal tumor at the gastric angle found during a medical check-up. Endoscopic ultrasonography and chest abdominal contrast-enhanced CT revealed the tumor was located at the 4th(proper muscular)layer of the posterior wall of the gastric antrum and slightly enhanced. No metastasis was found. Although a biopsy failed to reveal an accurate diagnosis, GIST was clinically suspected. A robotic distal gastrectomy was planned to manage the residual gastric stricture. The intraoperative findings indicated possible passage of the remnant stomach; therefore, local resection was performed. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on postoperative day 9. A histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a PAS-positive, S100-positive granular cell tumor with no nuclear atypia. These findings suggest that use of the robotic approach could help determine the stomach resection extent.

In this study, we report a case of incarcerated direct inguinal hernia (DIH) after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in a patient with concomitant DIH. The 71-year-old man underwent RARP. Six days later, he developed a right DIH incarceration. His laparoscopy findings revealed an incarcerated intestine that was adherent to the hernia orifice. After reducing the hernia, the peritoneum was found to be defective in the right DIH orifice. The DIH was then repaired via the Lichtenstein method. The patient was discharged without complications on postoperative day 13. No recurrence was observed at 3-year follow-up. When repair and peritoneum closure for concomitant DIH are not performed in RARP, it should be kept in mind that the nonrepaired concomitant DIH orifice may develop intestinal incarceration and adhesion to the hernia orifice without the peritoneum immediately after RARP.

We report a successful case of robot-assisted surgery for Stage Ⅳ gastric cancer with liver metastasis. A 70s man diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer with S3 solitary liver metastasis, and received a chemotherapy with S-1 and cisplatin. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, liver metastatic lesion was disappeared. Thus, robotic distal gastrectomy and partial liver resection were performed. Operating time was 391 minutes, and amount of intraoperative blood loss was 11 mL. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 11 days after surgery. Histologic examination revealed no viable malignant cells in the resected liver, with a diagnosis of ypT2N1M0, ypStage ⅡA. The patient is alive with no recurrence 12 months after surgery, without adjuvant chemotherapy.