Segmental gastrectomy with radical lymph node dissection for early gastric cancer

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Early gastric cancer (EGC) management requires effective surgical techniques.
• Standard treatments like distal gastrectomy (DG) can impact patient recovery and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and assess the early outcomes of segmental gastrectomy (SG) with modified D2 lymph node (LN) dissection for EGC.
• To compare SG with modified D2 dissection against traditional DG for EGC.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 14 patients with EGC underwent SG with modified D2 dissection.
• Comparative analysis with 17 patients who had DG for EGC during the same period (2006-2008).
• Evaluation of operative results, postoperative courses, complication rates, LN dissection, body weight recovery, and incidence of reflux esophagitis and gastritis.

Main Results:

• SG and DG showed similar operating times, blood loss, and hospital stays.
• SG group experienced significantly fewer postoperative complications compared to the DG group.
• Better postoperative body weight recovery and lower incidence of reflux esophagitis and gastritis were observed in the SG group.

Conclusions:

• Segmental gastrectomy with modified D2 LN dissection is a feasible, function-preserving surgical approach for EGC.
• This technique may be advantageous for EGC patients, especially those with potential lymph node involvement.