Validity of Laparoscopic Gastrectomy in the Elderly

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Geriatric Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Gastric cancer is a significant health concern, particularly in aging populations.
• Laparoscopic gastrectomy offers potential benefits over open surgery, but its safety in elderly patients requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer in elderly patients (≥75 years).
• To compare postoperative morbidity and long-term survival outcomes between elderly and younger patients undergoing the procedure.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 202 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
• Patients were categorized into an elderly group (≥75 years, n=36) and a control group (<75 years, n=166).
• Clinicopathological data, complication rates (Clavien-Dindo classification), and 5-year survival rates were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Overall morbidity was slightly higher in the elderly group (16.7% vs. 11.4%), but serious complications (≥grade III) were not significantly different (8.3% vs. 7.8%).
• Age ≥75 years was not a significant predictor of postoperative morbidity.
• No significant difference in 5-year overall survival was observed for pathological stage I gastric cancer patients between the groups (97.1% vs. 96.1%).

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic gastrectomy demonstrates an acceptable morbidity profile in elderly patients with gastric cancer.
• Long-term oncological outcomes for stage I gastric cancer are similar between elderly and younger patient cohorts, supporting its use in this population.