Laparoscopic surgery confers upon patients the advantages of faster recovery, fewer complications, reduced hemorrhaging that reduces the likelihood of needing a blood transfusion, a smaller incision that reduces pain, the probability of intestinal obstruction, and the risk of wounding. Since its introduction in 1994, LDG for gastric cancer has become a commonplace due to the development of dedicated instruments and surgical techniques [
1]. Many surgeons have described their experiences with totally laparoscopic gastrectomy and have found it safe and feasible [
5‐
8]. Kim et al. concluded that TLDG helps to improve early surgical outcomes [
9]. A policy of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy was adopted at our hospital from its inception because we considered that it would confer several advantages. Extracorporeal anastomosis via mini-laparotomy incisions during laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy could cause forceful tension and damage structures around an anastomosis because of limited vision, especially in obese patients [
6,
10]. The entire anastomotic procedure can be clearly viewed during totally laparoscopic gastrectomy, which prevents such tension and damage. However, circular staplers are usually used for esophagojejunostomy in most LTG with mini-laparotomy incisions [
11,
12]. The intra-abdominal application of a circular stapler might be challenging, and intracorporeal purse-string sutures and anvil placement are required for obese patients as well as for those with a relatively narrow esophagus [
11,
13]. Okabe et al. noted that a circular stapler has not been specifically designed for endoscopic surgery and such staplers have usually been extracorporeally applied because of difficulties with applying them under a limited laparoscopic view [
14]. If force is applied to a relatively large anvil, the mucosa can slip off and rupture the esophageal wall, which would result in serious complications [
15]. In contrast, a linear stapler can be easily manipulated intra-abdominally. Steichen introduced a functional end-to-end anastomosis that has been adopted worldwide [
16]. Matsui et al. and Lee et al. concluded that functional end-to-end esophagojejunostomy after a total gastrectomy is convenient, safe, reliable, and independent of the esophagus and depth of the esophageal hiatus [
17,
18]. Functional end-to-end esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy in open surgery has become accepted, whereas laparoscopic esophagojejunostomy seems quite rare. We adopted this technique from the introduction of TLTG at our hospital. We have not experienced esophagojejunostomy leakage, and esophagojejunostomy stenosis that developed in three (4.6 %) patients was resolved by endoscopic dilation, the frequency of which varies from 3 to 10 % when a circular stapler is applied [
19,
20]. One of our patients died in the hospital due to afferent loop syndrome caused by an internal hernia, which is a potentially serious complication after TLTG. Because of this experience, we close mesenteric defects using an intracorporeal suture. We do not apply this method to patients with tumors that have invaded the esophagus, and we perform intracorporeal circular stapling for esophagojejunostomy using a transorally inserted OrVil
TM anvil (Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA). If a tumor is close to the esophago-cardiac junction, we transect the abdominal esophagus before starting an esophagojejunostomy. We have not experienced anastomotic stenosis since using the 45-mm linear stapler, which has more grasping power. As a result, the suture line between the esophageal and the intestinal wall does not shift. The long-term outcomes of functional end-to-end esophagojejunostomy in TLTG remain unknown, and thus, further clinical trials and prospective controlled studies are required for comparisons with other types of anastomosis. We achieved functional end-to-end esophagojejunostomy in TLTG without anastomotic leakage and consider this technique safe and feasible.