Yonsei Medical Journal Vol. 46, No. 5, pp. 648 - 651, 2005 Percutaneous Needle Decompression during Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery: A Simple Alternative to Nasogastric Decompression Woo Jin Hyung,1,2 Changsoo Song,1 Jae Ho Cheong,1,2 Seung Ho Choi,1 and Sung Hoon Noh1,2,3 1Department of Surgery, 2Cancer Metastasis and Research Center, and 3Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Laparoscopic gastric surgeries are routinely performed with INTRODUCTION use of a nasogastric tube to decompress the upper gastroin- testinal tract. A distended upper gastrointestinal tract can com- Although gastric surgery without nasogastric plicate successful laparoscopic gastric surgery as the distention compromises not only the visual field but also the laparoscopic intubation has been advocated recently, most sur- manipulation of the stomach. Since nasogastric intubation is geons continue to use nasogastric decompression 1-3 not without risks, we have attempted laparoscopic-assisted for gastrointestinal surgeries. Even in the ma- gastric cancer surgeries without nasogastric tubes. In this jority of clinical trials comparing selective versus article we describe a simple method of aspirating gastric con- routine nasogastric decompression, nasogastric tents using a 9 cm long 19-gauge needle inserted percutane- tube was used for decompression during the ously during laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy. First, a 9 cm operative procedure. Without nasogastric decom- long 19-gauge disposable needle was introduced through the abdominal wall. This needle was then introduced to the pression, it is difficult to get an uncluttered sur- stomach through the anterior wall and the stomach gases and gical field due to air and fluid in the stomach and fluids were aspirated by connecting the needle to suction. duodenum during the operation.4 Similarly, the Thus, a collapsed upper gastrointestinal tract was easily ob- laparoscopic gastric surgeries have been per- tained. We performed this procedure instead of nasogastric formed with routine use of nasogastric tube. It is decompression on twenty-two patients with gastric cancer who important to collapse the upper gastrointestinal underwent laparoscopic-assisted distal subtotal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. The results were good with only tract during laparoscopic gastric surgery since one patient experiencing wound infection (4.5%) and one upper gastrointestinal distention compromises not patient with postoperative acalculus cholecystitis (4.5%). There only the visual field, but also the laparoscopic were no patients with either intraabdominal infection or anasto- manipulation of the stomach. motic leakage and none of the patients needed postoperative We have previously reported that intraoperative nasogastric decompression, except the patient who experienced needle decompression technique can be used acaculus cholecystitis. Percutaneous needle aspiration is a very simple and efficient technique with little risk of postoperative without complications as an alternative to naso- complications. It can be used as an alternative to nasogastric gastric intubation for intraoperative decompres- tube decompression of the gastrointestinal tract for laparo- sion of gastrointestinal tract for open gastric can- scopic-assisted gastrectomy. cer surgery.5 However, during laparoscopic sur- Key Words: Laparoscopy, nasogastric intubations, gastric gery, needle decompression is more complicated surgery, percutaneous aspiration than during open surgery. We have attempted laparoscopic-assisted gastric cancer surgeries without nasogastric intubations. Received January 7, 2005 Accepted April 18, 2005 In this article we describe a simple method, the Reprint address: requests to Dr. Sung Hoon Noh, Department aspiration of gastric contents using a 9 cm long of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon- 19-gauge needle percutaneously, as a simple alter- dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea. Tel: 82-2-2228-2114, native to nasogastric intubation for gastrointes- Fax: 82-2-2228-2100, E-mail: [email protected] Yonsei Med J Vol. 46, No. 5, 2005 Needle Decompression During Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery tinal decompression during laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Technique Under general anesthesia, the patient was placed in the reverse Trendelenberg position. After pneumoperitoneum was established using the open technique, 5 ports (two 12 mm and three 10 mm in diameter) were placed. Once the Fig. 1. Percutaneous needle decompression of distended abdominal cavity was explored via laparoscope, stomach during laparoscopic gastric surgery. A 9 cm long the stomach, duodenum and proximal jejunum 19-gauge disposable needle is introduced through the abdominal wall. were usually distended with swallowed or introduced gases during induction of anesthesia. The gases in the duodenum and proximal jeju- the spleen. Division was then continued all the num were forced into the stomach by external way to the short gastric vessels to dissect the left serial squeezing aborally using laparoscopic gastroepiploic vessels at their roots. The division bowel clamps. The location for the percutaneous of the gastrocolic ligament was continued distally introduction of the needle was identified by toward the pylorus, then the right gastroepiploic manually pressing on the abdominal wall. A 9 vessels were divided at their roots. The soft cm long 19-gauge disposable needle was then tissues attached to the duodenum were dissected. introduced through the abdominal wall (Fig. 1). The lesser omentum was then opened and the The anterior gastric wall was pulled up using a duodenum was transected 1 cm distal to the laparoscopic Babcock clamp and the percutane- pylorus using an endoscopic stapling device. The ously punctured needle was introduced to the right gastric artery was exposed and divided at stomach through the anterior wall. The gases and its origin. The lymph nodes bearing soft tissues fluids collected in the stomach were aspirated by around the common hepatic artery were dis- connecting the needle to suction (Fig. 1). During sected, revealing the left gastric vein, which was the aspiration, compression of the dependent divided at the upper margin of the common portion of the stomach such as the fundus and hepatic artery or pancreas. This was achieved by upper body of the stomach facilitates effective lifting the stomach superiorly. The left gastric aspiration of gastric air and fluid. After aspira- artery was also exposed and severed at the root tion, the upper gastrointestinal tract collapsed, during the dissection of the lymph nodes. and we were able to perform the surgery for Perigastric lymph nodes were dissected along the early gastric cancer under optimal conditions. lesser curvature up to the esophagocardial junc- Laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer was tion. By connecting two epigastric trocar inci- performed using the following standardized sions, a 5 cm mini-laparotomy incision was operative procedures: 1) A total or distal subtotal located in the epigastrium. The stomach was gastrectomy was performed depending on the taken out for resection and anastomosis. After location of the tumor; 2) D1 + beta or D2 lym- gastrectomy, the gastrointestinal continuity was phadenectomy was performed according to the restored by either a gastroduodenostomy or rules of “The Japanese Research Society for gastrojejunostomy depending on the location of Gastric Cancer”.6 The greater omentum was first tumors in a distal subtotal gastrectomy and by divided and dissected using ultrasonic shears Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostostomy in a total gas- (Laparoscopic Coagulating Shears: LCS; Ethicon, trectomy. Gastroduodenostomy was constructed Cincinnati, OH, USA) toward the lower pole of using a circular stapler (Ethicon, Cincinnati, OH, Yonsei Med J Vol. 46, No. 5, 2005 Woo Jin Hyung, et al. USA). The gastrojejunostomy was performed DISCUSSION using interrupted 3-0 silk Lembert sutures for the outer layer and a running 3-0 polyglycolic suture Percutaneous needle decompression technique for the transmural inner layer. Esophagojeju- during laparoscopic gastric surgery can be used nostomy was done using a circular stapler. without complications as an alternative to naso- Minilaparotomy was closed with continuous 1-0 gastric tube for intraoperative decompression of polydioxanone sutures and the trocar sites were the gastrointestinal tract for an uncluttered sur- closed with 2-0 polydioxanone sutures. The gical field. This technique can prevent possible subcutis and cutis were restored with interrupted injuries caused by the insertion of a nasogastric 3-0 silk sutures and skin staples. tube. We find it is an easy and simple technique to perform. Many surgeons have reported benefits from not RESULTS using the nasogastric tube during and after major abdominal surgeries, including gastric surgery. Twenty-two patients with gastric cancer under- 1-5,7,8 In spite of these reports, many surgeons still went laparoscopic-assisted distal subtotal gastrec- use nasogastric tubes during and after gastric tomy with lymph node dissection without naso- cancer surgery for better surgical exposure and gastric decompression. Instead, a 9 cm long 19- because of the belief that the gastrointestinal gauge disposable needle was introduced percu- decompression might prevent serious complica- taneously during the operative period to decom- tions such as anastomotic leak, aspiration, and press