Laparoscopy-Assisted Billroth I Gastrectomy Compared With Conventional Open Gastrectomy

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Abstract
IN JAPAN, detections of early-stage gastric cancer have been increasing because of rapid advances in diagnostic instruments and increased use of mass screening or individual examination.1-3 Recently, various laparoscopic approaches have been introduced to treat patients with small gastric cancer confined to the mucosa.4-7 Since the first report of our experience of laparoscopy-assisted Billroth I gastrectomy (LAG) in 1994,8 laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer has been quickly adopted, and the number of operations has been increasing. In our department, patients with early-stage gastric cancers in the lower half of the stomach are candidates for this less invasive surgery. Our recent study on 40 patients who underwent LAG showed that this operation was safe and useful for patients with early-stage gastric cancer.9