Use of Hisense Computer-Assisted Surgery System Enhances Infrapyloric Lymph Node Dissection for Gastric Cancer

Background: This study aimed to establish a three-dimensional model of infrapyloric vessels using the Hisense computer-assisted surgery (CAS) system before the operation to understand blood vessel variation types and determine the group 6 lymph node (LN) metastasis status. Methods: One hundred and four gastric cancer patients were randomly assigned to a CAS group and a computed tomography (CT) group. Intraoperative and postoperative complications in the two groups were recorded. The number of group 6 LNs dissected and the metastasis status were compared between the groups. The independent risk factors influencing group 6 LN metastasis were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: In the 50 CAS group patients, the gastrocolic trunk of Henle was divided into a gastrocolic type (34.0%) and a gastropancreatic colonic type (66.0%); the right gastroepiploic artery was divided into a coarse blood supply type (24.0%) and a fine blood supply type (76.0%); and the relationship between the right gastroepiploic artery and right gastroepiploic vein was divided into an adjacent type (58.0%) and a separated type (42.0%). Although the difference was not significant, the CAS group had fewer cases of intraoperative gastrocolic trunk injury and postoperative pancreatic leakage in trend than the CT group. The CAS group had more dissected LNs (P < 0.001) and metastatic LNs (P = 0.011) than the CT group; meanwhile, it had higher LN metastasis rate and LN metastasis degree in trend than the CT group. According to the multiple logistic regression model, tumor location and TNM stage were significantly correlated with group 6 LN metastases. Conclusions: By establishing a three-dimensional model of the infrapyloric vessels using the Hisense CAS system, we comprehensively determined the anatomic variations in each collateral vessel. The application of the Hisense CAS system significantly improved the number of LNs dissected and the discovery rate of LN metastases without increasing the incidence of complications. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.