Comparative analysis of clinical efficacy between laparoscopic and open radical gastrectomy for obese patients with gastric cancer        HUANG Chang-ming, CHEN Jian-xin, ZHENG Chao-hui, et al. Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
Corresponding author: HUANG Chang-ming, E-mail: hcmlr2002@163.com
Abstract    Objective    To study the feasibility and short-term efficacy of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for obese patients with gastric cancer. Methods    From May 2007 to June 2010, 166 obese patients with gastric cancer were performed radical resection in the Department of Gastric Surgery of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. The differences of intraoperative and postoperative situation, postoperative complications, number of resected lymph nodes and short-term survival rates between laparoscopy and open gastrectomy group were analyzed. Results    Among patients, 81 patients received laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG group) and 85 patients underwent open gastrectomy (OG group). There was no significant difference in the operation time between the two groups (P>0.05). In the aspects of intraoperative blood loss, rate of blood transfusion, increased number of leukocyte on the first postoperative day, time of temperature recovery, first flatus and postoperative hospital stays, the LAG group showed distinctive advantage than the OG group with the significant difference statistically (P<0.05). The rate of postoperative complications in LAG group and OG group were 17.2% and 20.0% and the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The difference of the mean number of retrieved lymph nodes between two groups was not significant (P>0.05). One hundred and fifty-seven patients (94.5%) were followed up for 2 to 39 months. The median time was 19 months. As for the survival curves, the survey showed there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy is safe and feasible for obesity patients, which presents the superior character of minimal invasion and can achieve oncologic radical effect.