ObjectiveTo investigate therapeutic effect and influence on survival of complete laparoscopic transesophageal hiatus approach approach and transabdominal combined thoracotomy approach in treatment of Siewert type Ⅱesophageal gastric junction adenocarcinoma (AEG).MethodsFrom January 2012 to December 2014, the patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG were collected in the Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery) of Weifang People’s Hospital, then who were designed into a transabdominal group and transabdominal combined thoracotomy group according to the operative approach method. The intraoperative and postoperative statuses were compared between these two groups.ResultsIn this study, 142 patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG were included, 83 in the transabdominal group and 59 in the transabdominal combined thoracotomy group. There were no significant differences in the baseline data such as the gender, age, preoperative histological differentiation, TNM stage, etc. between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the transabdominal combined thoracotomy group, in terms of the operation time, the volumes of intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion, and the proportion of patients with blood transfusion were better (P<0.05); the postoperative hospitalization time, time to use analgesics, time of the first activity out of bed, and time of removed electrocardiographic monitoring were also earlier (P<0.05); the numbers of lymphadenectomy and metastatic lymph nodes were less (P<0.05) in the transabdominal group. But there was no significant difference in the rate of lymph node metastasis between the two groups (P>0.05). The total incidence of complications in the transabdominal group was lower than that in the transabdominal combined thoracotomy group (χ2=9.871, P=0.002). The median survival time was 39 months in the transabdominal group and 34 months in the transabdominal combined thoracotomy group. The survival had no significant difference between the two groups by the Kaplan-Meier analysis (χ2=0.281, P=0.596). The result of multivariate analysis showed that the TNM stage and lymph node positive rate were the independent factors influencing the survival of the patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG.ConclusionsAccording to results of this study, it is safe and effective for patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG to adopt a complete laparoscopic transabdominal approach. For elderly patients with poor cardiopulmonary function who can not tolerate transthoracic surgery, it could reduce postoperative complications and improve safety.