Comparison of long-term results between laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy and open gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare surgical outcomes and oncologic efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) versus open gastrectomy (OG) for advanced gastric cancer.MethodsFor this study, 87 consecutive advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients who underwent LAG with D2 lymph node dissection between April 2005 and October 2009 were enrolled, compared with 87 AGC patients who underwent OG during the same period.ResultsOperative procedure and surgical margin were similar between the 2 groups. The operative time was significantly longer in the LAG group than the OG group, while the estimated blood loss was significantly less in the LAG group. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications and in the number of lymph nodes retrieved. The use of analgesic drugs was significantly less after LAG. Length of postoperative stay was significantly shorter in the LAG group. The 5-year overall survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate were comparative between the 2 groups.ConclusionThis 5-year case–control study presented that laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy may be a safe and acceptable procedure in terms of long-term results for AGC.