Laparoscopic vs. open distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in elderly patients: a retrospective study

Abstract

Aim: It is unclear whether elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer can benefit from laparoscopic gastrectomy. This study aimed to compare the surgical and early postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with those of open distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in elderly patients aged 75 years or older.

Methods: We retrospectively examined all elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy or open distal gastrectomy from October 2010 to October 2017 using prospectively collected data. Operative results, hospital courses, and survival rates were compared between the two groups.

Results: Distal gastrectomy was performed in 60 patients, laparoscopically in 20 and through open surgery in 40. The laparoscopic group had significantly lesser intraoperative blood loss (100 mL vs. 300 mL; P < 0.001) and shorter mean postoperative hospital stays (12 days vs. 23 days; P < 0.001). The overall 3-year survival rate was 50.1% in the laparoscopic group and 41.7% in the open group (P = 0.531).

Conclusion: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy led to a faster return to a full diet and a shorter postoperative hospital stay in our study, and it was well tolerated by elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Keywords

Aging / gastrectomy / gastric cancer / laparoscopy

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