Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (TLDG), we compared its early surgical outcomes with those of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (LADG).
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed early surgical outcomes in 567 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2009 and March 2010. The patients were divided into those with underwent TLDG and those with underwent LADG. Their surgical outcomes were analyzed according to the WHO Asia-Pacific Obesity classification.
Results: In overall patients, TLDG showed the significant results of early surgical outcomes. But more importantly, in the analysis of early surgical outcomes for obese patients, we found that TLDG could improve overall complication rate (p = 0.031), time to first flatus (p = 0.009), time to commencement of soft diet (p < 0.001), administration of analgesics (p = 0.019), pain score (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS), and hospital discharge (p = 0.003).
Conclusions: We suggested that TLDG contributes to the improvement of early surgical outcomes. We further suggest that TLDG in obese patients could be the best way to improve early surgical outcomes, including the bowel movement, pain score, overall complication rate, and hospital discharge.