A Case Report of Necrosis of the Gastric Remnant after Distal Gastrectomy

The patient was a 65-year-old man who had received laparoscopy-assisted high anterior resection for advanced rectal cancer and distal gastrectomy without splenectomy for early gastric cancer at the same time. We could not point out any findings of ischemic change or anastomosis leakage in the early postoperative period. However, on POD 15, gastroscopic examination showed extensive mucosal necrosis mainly around the anastomotic region in the gastric remnant. Based on these findings, we performed total gastrectomy on POD 21. Ischemic necrosis of the gastric remnant is a rare and serious complication of distal gastrectomy. It is hoped that early diagnosis by a gastroscopy in the early postoperative period will help to save patients in which this complication is suspected.