Comparison of the intracorporeal triangular and delta-shaped anastomotic techniques in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: an analysis with propensity score matching

Background The delta-shaped anastomotic technique (Delta-SA) has been accepted as a standard reconstruction method in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction (TLDG B-I). However, some anastomosis-related surgical complications have been reported. We evaluated the safety and feasibility of modified Delta-SA, called intracorporeal triangular anastomotic technique (INTACT), in this study. Methods From January 2010 to May 2018, we identified patients who underwent TLDG B-I with INTACT ( n = 289) and Delta-SA ( n = 221). Using one-to-one propensity score matching, surgical outcomes and gastrointestinal function were compared between the two groups. Results After one-to-one propensity score matching, 177 pairs of INTACT and Delta-SA patients were selected. Patient background was closely balanced between the two groups. Operative time (186 [159, 213] min vs. 237 [213, 264] min; P