Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is widely accepted as the standard treatment for benign gall bladder diseases in humans because it has proven to be less invasive and safer than are traditional methods. However, the efficacy of LC in dogs remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the short-term outcome of LC for benign gall bladder diseases in dogs. We enrolled 76 consecutive dogs that underwent LC for benign gall bladder diseases at our hospital between April 2008 and October 2016. Dogs with jaundice, gall bladder ruptures, abdominal effusion, or extrahepatic biliary obstruction were not excluded from the indication. Factors including age, body weight, sex, clinical sign, disease, operative time, conversion to open surgery, perioperative complications, and postoperative hospital stay were investigated. The median age of the dogs was 11 years, and the median body weight was 5.4 kg. Fifty percent of the dogs exhibited no symptoms at the initial visit. Preoperative elevation of total bilirubin levels was observed in 16 dogs (21%). LC was successfully completed in 71 dogs (93%); the median operative time was 124 min. Although gall bladder ruptures were observed in 2 (2.6%) dogs, the operations were completed successfully. Three dogs (4.1%) had to be converted to open cholecystectomy and 2 (2.6%) underwent reoperation. Two dogs (2.6%) died intraoperatively and 2 (2.6%) died postoperatively. LC was a feasible, safe, and appropriate procedure considering the current operative indications for benign gall bladder diseases in dogs.

ImportanceEvidence of implementation of laparoscopic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer is currently insufficient, as the primary end point in previous prospective studies was evaluated at a median follow-up time of 3 years. More robust evidence is necessary to verify noninferiority of laparoscopic gastrectomy.ObjectiveTo compare 5-year survival outcomes between laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) with D2 lymph node dissection for locally advanced gastric cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a multicenter, open-label, noninferiority, prospective randomized clinical trial. Between November 26, 2009, and July 29, 2016, eligible patients with histologically proven gastric carcinoma from 37 institutes in Japan were enrolled. Two interim analyses and final analysis were performed in October 2014, May 2018, and November 2021, respectively.InterventionsPatients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the ODG or LADG group. The procedures were performed exclusively by qualified surgeons.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary end point was 5-year relapse-free survival, and the noninferiority margin for the hazard ratio (HR) was set at 1.31. The secondary end points were 5-year overall survival and safety.ResultsA total of 502 patients were included in the full-analysis set: 254 (50.6%) in the ODG group and 248 (49.4%) in the LADG group. Patients in the ODG group had a median (IQR) age of 67 (33-80) years and included 168 males (66.1%). Patients in the LADG group had a median (IQR) age of 64 (34-80) years and included 169 males (68.1%). No significant differences were observed in severe postoperative complications between the 2 groups in the safety analysis (ODG, 4.7% [11 of 233] vs LADG, 3.5% [8 of 227]; P = .64). The median (IQR) follow-up for all patients after randomization was 67.9 (60.3-92.0) months. The 5-year relapse-free survival was 73.9% (95% CI, 68.7%-79.5%) and 75.7% (95% CI, 70.5%-81.2%) for the ODG and LADG groups, respectively, and the HR was 0.96 (90% CI, 0.72-1.26; noninferiority 1-sided P = .03). Further, no significant difference was observed in overall survival time between the 2 groups, and the HR was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.57-1.21; P = .34). The pattern of recurrence was similar between the 2 groups.Conclusions and RelevanceResults of this study show that on the basis of 5-year follow-up data, LADG with D2 lymph node dissection for locally advanced gastric cancer, when performed by qualified surgeons, was proved noninferior to ODG. This laparoscopic approach could become a standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer.Trial RegistrationUMIN Clinical Trial Registry: UMIN000003420

Objective To compare the outcomes of pericardiectomy performed with conventional clipping thoracic duct ligation (C‐TDL) to those with en bloc thoracic duct ligation (EB‐TDL) using video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for canine idiopathic chylothorax. Study design Retrospective consecutive case series. Animals Thirteen client‐owned dogs with idiopathic chylothorax. Methods Medical records of dogs treated with pericardiectomy in combination with TDL by VATS without intraoperative contrast were reviewed. Five and seven dogs underwent C‐TDL and EB‐TDL, respectively, and 11 dogs were evaluated by preoperative and 7‐ to 10‐days‐postoperative computed tomography‐lymphography (CTLG). No clinical symptoms with absent or minimal pleural effusion was defined as clinical improvement. Long‐term remission (LTR) was defined as rapid resolution of pleural effusion and no recurrence for more than 1 year. Anesthesia time, operation time, the duration of hospitalization, and time until pleural effusion resolution were compared. Results Clinical improvement was achieved in 91.7% of the cases (C‐TDL, 4/5; EB‐TDL, 7/7), excluding one case of intraoperative death. The LTR rate was significantly higher with EB‐TDL (6/7 [85.7%]) than with C‐TDL (1/5 [20%]). Anesthesia time, operation time, and time until pleural effusion resolution were significantly better with EB‐TDL than with C‐TDL. The rates of thoracic ducts visualization by postoperative CTLG were 100% (5/5) with C‐TDL and 42.9% (3/7) with EB‐TDL. Conclusion En bloc TDL was an effective treatment for canine idiopathic chylothorax in this patient population. It compared favorably to C‐TDL, although missed branches at the time of surgery may explain the difference between C‐TDL and EB‐TDL in this small population of cases. Clinical significance En bloc TDL by VATS was an effective minimally invasive treatment for canine idiopathic chylothorax. Computed tomography‐lymphography can be used for surgical planning and postoperative evaluation.

Objective To describe a laparoscopic approach for performing intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) and bile duct flushing (BDF) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in dogs. To investigate the clinical outcomes of dogs undergoing these procedures for the treatment of benign gallbladder disease, ie gallbladder mucocele (GM) or cholecystitis. Study design Retrospective study. Animals Forty‐seven client‐owned dogs. Methods Medical records of client‐owned dogs with benign gallbladder diseases that underwent IOC and BDF during LC between September 2016 and December 2019 were reviewed. Of these dogs, only dogs with GM or cholecystitis were included in the study. The fundus dissection first method was used for LC. Intraoperative cholangiography and BDF procedures were performed laparoscopically using a catheter inserted into the cystic duct following dissection within the subserosal layer of the gallbladder. Videos recorded during each procedure were reviewed, and data on procedure duration, completion, outcome, and technical approach were recorded. Results Forty‐seven dogs were included in the study. The median procedure time for BDF and IOC was 4 min (range, 2‐48 min), and no intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Conclusion During LC, BDF and IOC were performed safely and successfully. Intraoperative cholangiography identified obstructions and strictures in the common bile duct that were not detected using BDF alone. Clinical significance Our findings suggest that BDF and IOC are both safe and time effective and should be considered for routine use by surgeons during LC.

Surgical treatment has improved the prognosis of canine idiopathic chylothorax, although a recurrence of the disease occurs occasionally after the procedure. An improved understanding of possible causes for this recurrence would be helpful for prognosis and treatment planning in affected patients. In this retrospective case series study, we described the detailed pre‐ and postoperative computed tomographic lymphography (CTLG) imaging characteristics for a group of dogs with surgically confirmed idiopathic chylothorax. Preoperative CTLG was performed in 12 of 14 dogs diagnosed with idiopathic chylothorax. Thoracic ducts were present on the right side in 10 dogs, left side in one dog, and bilaterally in one dog. All the 14 dogs received a combination therapy of pericardiectomy and thoracic duct ligation (TDL) by video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery. One week after surgery, a postoperative CTLG was performed, and the thoracic ducts were apparent in seven of 14 dogs. Three dogs had an unchanged course of the thoracic duct, which could have resulted from a missed duct. Four dogs were identified as having a bypass formation: the oblique duct originated at the ligation site and connected to the duct on the other side. Our findings indicated that one of the possible causes for postoperative recurrence of chylothorax in dogs could be “invisible or sleeping” fine ducts that are collapsed and not visible in preoperative CTLG scans. After TDL causes a change in the pressure of lymphatic flow, these fine thoracic ducts may become apparent using postoperative CTLG.