title: Clinical outcome of high segmental gastrectomy for early gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reflux oesophagitis is commonly encountered in the surgical treatment of cancer of the upper third of the stomach. The aim of this study was to describe a novel surgical technique and evaluate the clinical outcome of high segmental gastrectomy for early-stage proximal gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty consecutive patients with early gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach were included, of whom 12 underwent high segmental gastrectomy and 18 underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition. The incidence of reflux oesophagitis and nutritional parameters were compared between the two groups at 1 year after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient had mild reflux symptoms and two had endoscopic evidence of oesophagitis 1 year after high segmental gastrectomy. Half of the patients who had proximal gastrectomy had reflux symptoms of varying severity and 14 had endoscopic evidence of oesophageal changes at 1 year after surgery. There were significant differences between groups in the incidence of reflux symptoms (P = 0.016) and endoscopically detected gastro-oesophagitis (P < 0.001). There were no adverse events in either group, and the survival rate after high segmental gastrectomy appeared favourable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selected patients with early-stage proximal gastric cancer benefit from high segmental gastrectomy in terms of reduced reflex oesophagitis, without jeopardizing curability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. shinohara@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanaga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome