Background: During gastric surgery, precise recognition of the anatomical variations and relationships among gastric tumors and vessels, including the hepatic artery (HA) and left gastric vein (LGV), is required. We utilized a three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed image as a preoperative simulation for gastric surgery.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 84 patients who underwent gastrectomy at Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital. This cohort was sequentially divided into a without-3D group (n = 42) and with-3D group (n = 42), and the perioperative outcomes were compared. The 3D image could be used to classify the HA or LGV arrangement pattern.
Results: Regarding the HA arrangement, the right HA of 1 patient (2.3 %) was arising from the superior mesenteric artery, the left HA of 8 patients (19 %) was arising from the left gastric artery, 29 patients (69 %) presented a normal rearrangement, and 4 patients (9.5 %) exhibited other arrangements. The analysis of the LGV arrangement revealed that the LGV in 15 patients (36 %) was located on the dorsal side of the common HA, the LGV in 5 patients (12 %) was located on the ventral side of the common HA, the LGV in 12 patients (29 %) was found on the ventral side of the splenic artery, the LGV in 6 patients (14 %) was located on the dorsal side of the splenic artery, and 4 patients (9.5 %) presented other arrangements. The intraoperative blood loss in the without-3D and with-3D groups was 276 ± 430 and 157 ± 170 g, respectively (p = 0.027).
Conclusions: The 3D reconstruction technique was useful for understanding and sharing anatomic information during gastric surgery.
Keywords: Gastric surgery; Hepatic artery; Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy; Left gastric vein; Three-dimensional reconstruction.