Oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy: a single-center safety and feasibility study

Indications for laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for early stomach cancer have spread worldwide and evaluation of short-term outcomes has been favorable. The present study aimed to evaluate both technical feasibility and safety of LG and short-and long-term outcomes after LG.

The study group comprised 231 patients who underwent LG during the period from August 2001 through December 2011 at Gifu University School of Medicine.

Concomitant resection of other organs was performed in 16 (6.9 %) of the 231 patients, and conversion to open surgery was performed in 5 (2.2 %) patients. The final clinical stage of the patients, according to the Union for International Cancer Control classification, was stage IA in 183 (79.0 %), stage IB in 26 (11.3 %), stage IIA in 9 (2.6 %), stage IIB in 6 (2.6 %), stage IIIA in 5 (2.2 %), and stage IIIB in 2 (0.9 %) patients. Average values of total blood loss and operation time were 133.7 ± 129.0 ml and 328.1 ± 70.1 min, respectively. Postoperative complications were detected in 29 patients (12.6 %), and one patient died. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications, the rate of severe complications of grade ≥ 3a was 6.1 % and that of grade ≥ 3b was 1.3 %. There were no significant differences in complications in relation to clinicopathological or operative procedures. Cancer recurrence was detected in 2 (0.9 %) patients. In the patient with peritoneal dissemination, tumor size and macroscopic type were critical. Five-year overall survival rates were 99.3 % for stage IA, 95.2 % for stage IB, and 50.0 % for stage IIB patients. One recurrence each was detected for stages IA and IIB cancers.

The present study showed LG to have a safe postoperative course and to benefit oncologic outcomes.