Post-operative outcomes of open and laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A single-center experience

Özet

Introduction: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) has rapidly been gaining popularity. However, there is only limited evidence regarding its oncological safety. The aim of this study is to identify the effects of laparoscopy on post-operative complications and on the total number of excised and metastatic lymph nodes in cases with + D2 lymph node dissection due to gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: 40 consecutive patients, who underwent gastrectomy and routine D2 lymph node dissection in our clinic between March 2019 and March 2020, were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as per the technique applied; open surgery (Group 1) and laparoscopic surgery (Group 2). Demographic characteristics, intra-operative time, need for blood transfusion, post-operative complications, and histopathological features were compared between the groups. Results: The results of the study revealed that Group 1 had longer hospital stay periods (p=0.03) but other clinical features like intra-operative and post-operative complication rates were similar in both groups. Pathology results of the groups also showed no statistically significant difference in terms of the number of excised lymph nodes, the number of metastatic lymph nodes, and the ratio of metastatic lymph nodes to excisedlymph nodes. Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery can be performed safely and may be recommended as a possible alternative to open surgery. The study emphasized a faster post-operative recovery as the main benefit of laparoscopic gastrectomy.