Standard of practice on laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in Korea and Japan: Experts’ survey

Abstract Introduction As the laparoscopic approach has become a popular gastric cancer treatment in K orea and J apan, the need for sharing current practices of surgeons who are experienced in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery has increased. Methods We sent a questionnaire on laparoscopic instruments, image documentation, preoperative evaluation, surgical indication, operative methods, and postoperative management to laparoscopic experts in K orea and J apan, and 24 (14 from K orea and 10 from J apan) responded. Results Endoscopic ultrasound and preoperative endoscopy‐guided clipping are routinely employed, respectively, by 14 (58%) and 20 (83%) of the surgeons. Surgeons perform laparoscopy‐assisted distal gastrectomy ( LADG ) based on varying indications. Five surgeons (21%) performed LADG only for cases of stage T 1 cancer, 15 (63%) performed LADG on patients with less than T 2 lesions, and 4 (17%) performed LADG on patients with less than T 3 lesions. With regard to postoperative anastomosis, 18 surgeons (75%) preferred extracorporeal anastomosis and 6 (25%) preferred intracorporeal anastomosis. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.5 days in K orea and 10.1 days in J apan ( P < 0.001). Conclusion This survey can help to inform the current practice of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in K orea and J apan, where laparoscopic surgery is frequently performed.