Surgical outcome of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy with extraperigastric lymph node dissection for gastric cancer

Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibitity of laparoscopy- assisted gastrectomy (LAG) with extraperigastric lymph node dissection for gastric cancer. Methods. The authors attempted LAG with extraperigastri c lymph node dissection in 117 consecutive gastric cancer patients between May 1998 and January 2004. The clinico-pathotogic characteristics, operative outcomes, post-operative morbidities and mortalities, and follow-up findings of patients with advanced gastric cancer were evaluated. Results. LAG with extraperigastric lymph node dissection were successfully performed in 114 of 117 patients (success rate, 97%). Of these 114 successful cases, 100 cases were early gastric cancers and 14 cases were advanced gastric cancers. The mean operation time for the 114 cases was 259 (range 150-415) min, and the mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was 23 (range 6-66). Operative mortatity, hospital death, and overall post-operative complication rates were 0, 1.7 and 14.7%, respectivety. Follow-up was available in 110 of the 112 patients (two postoperative hospital deaths were excluded from the 114). Follow-up ranged from 6 to 74 months (median: 19). 108 patients remain alive without recurrence or port-site metastasis. Conclusions. LAG with extraperigastric lymph node dissection is a technically feasible and acceptable method for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.