Kyushu U-Japan: The impact of obesity on the use of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22792523

J Gastric Cancer. 2012 Jun;12(2):108-12. Epub 2012 Jun 27.

The impact of obesity on the use of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

Oki E, Sakaguchi Y, Ohgaki K, Saeki H, Chinen Y, Minami K, Sakamoto Y, Toh Y, Kusumoto T, Okamura T, Maehara Y.

Source

Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Since a patient's obesity can affect the mortality and morbidity of the surgery, less drastic surgeries may have a major benefit for obese individuals. This study evaluated the feasibility of performing a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, with intracorporeal anastomosis, in obese patients suffering from gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This was a retrospective analysis of the 138 patients, who underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy from April 2005 to March 2009, at the National Kyushu Cancer Center. The body mass index of 20 patients was ≥25, and in 118 patients, it was <25 kg/m(2).

RESULTS:

The mean values of body mass index in the 2 groups were 27.3±2.2 and 21.4±2.3. Hypertension was significantly more frequent in the obese patients than in the non-obese patients. The intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, post-operative complication rate, post-operative hospital stay, and a number of retrieved lymph nodes were not significantly different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Intracorporeal anastomosis seemed to have a benefit for obese individuals. Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy is, therefore, considered to be a safe and an effective modality for obese patients.