Laparoscopic gastrectomy after coronary artery bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery: a report of two cases.

We successfully executed laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in two patients who had previously undergone coronary artery bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA). A laparoscopic distal gastrectomy preserving the RGEA graft with Roux-en-Y reconstruction was performed on two men, one 69 years of age and one 73 years of age. In both cases, the RGEA was used during coronary artery bypass grafting for the posterior descending branch. The laparoscopic approach helped avoid injury to the RGEA associated with laparotomy and retractor placement. In addition, the locations of ports necessary for laparoscopy were situated away from the RGEA graft and from adhesions resulting from bypass. Using typical laparoscopic settings, we were able to easily identify the grafted RGEA. Thus, laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is not only less invasive than open gastrectomy procedures, but it is also associated with a lower risk of injury to the RGEA graft.