Reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in obese gastric cancer patients

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 8; p. e0255855
• Main Authors: Kang, Dong Yeon, Kim, Ho Goon, Kim, Dong Yi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05.08.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aged; Biology and Life Sciences; Body Mass Index; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Female; Gastrectomy; Gastrectomy - adverse effects; Gastrectomy - methods; Health aspects; Humans; Laparoscopy - methods; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Obesity - complications; Obesity - surgery; Operative Time; Overweight persons; Patient outcomes; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Retrospective Studies; Stomach cancer; Stomach Neoplasms - complications; Stomach Neoplasms - surgery; Treatment Outcome; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255855

Reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy is currently widely performed for patients with gastric cancer. However, its safety in obese patients has not yet been verified. This is the first study on reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (RpLDG) in obese patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term surgical outcomes and investigate the feasibility and safety of RpLDG in obese patients with gastric carcinoma. A total of 271 gastric cancer patients who underwent RpLDG at our institution were divided into two groups: non-obese [body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2, n = 251; NOG] and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n = 20; OG). The mean age of the enrolled patients was 64.8 ± 11.4 years, with 72.0% being men and 28.0% women. Operative details and short-term surgical outcomes, including hospital course and postoperative complications, were compared by retrospectively reviewing the medical records. No significant difference in operation time was found between the NOG and OG (205.9 ± 40.0 vs. 211.3 ± 37.3 minutes, P = 0.563). Other operative outcomes in the OG, including estimated blood loss (54.1 ± 86.1 vs. 54.0 ± 39.0 mL, P = 0.995) and retrieved lymph nodes (36.2 ± 16.4 vs. 35.5 ± 18.2, P = 0.875), were not inferior to those in the NOG. There were also no statistical differences in short-term surgical outcomes, including the incidence of surgical complications (13.9% vs. 10.0%, P = 1). RpLDG can be performed safely in obese gastric cancer patients by an experienced surgeon. It should be considered a feasible alternative to conventional port distal gastrectomy.