Laparoscopy-assisted truncal vagotomy with antecolic posterior gastrojejunostomy for benign gastric outlet obstruction.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to highlight the role of minimally invasive surgery in the form of laparoscopy-assisted truncal vagotomy (TV) with ante-colic posterior gastrojejunostomy (PGJ) for benign gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). GOO is relatively common in southern India due to various factors. From 1994 to 2004, 762 patients with GOO were operated on (open TV with PGJ) in our center.

METHODS: From November 2003 to November 2004, 18 patients with GOO underwent the laparoscopic procedure in our unit. The procedure involves laparoscopic TV followed by the ante-colic PGJ performed extracorporeally through a 3.5-cm transverse incision in the upper abdomen.

RESULTS: The advantages of this procedure are that pain, hospital stay, size of wound, incidence of incisional hernia, and postoperative complications are reduced and the patient returns to work earlier. The results are comparable to those of a totally laparoscopic TV with PGJ.

CONCLUSION: This procedure is relatively easy to perform because the anastomosis is done extracorporeally, and it is less expensive than the use of endostaplers. Thus, more surgeons should be encouraged to perform laparoscopic TV with PGJ.