Postoperative pancreatic fistula after robot distal gastrectomy

Background: To compare the incidences of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) between robot-assisted distal gastrectomy (RADG) and laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG).

Materials and methods: A total of 40 patients with gastric cancer who underwent RADG were compared with 40 initial patients who underwent LADG by a single surgeon. We evaluated and compared the clinicopathologic characteristics, surgical outcomes, and operative complications including POPF in two groups.

Results: The POPF was observed more frequently in the LADG group than in the RADG group (22.5% versus 10%, P < 0.001). Although the serum amylase levels in the 20 first-half cases did not statistically differ between LADG and RADG (P = 0.32), those in the 20 latter-half cases were significantly lower in the RADG group (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified laparoscopic surgery and visceral fat area as POPF-associated risk factors.

Conclusions: RADG is feasible and safe for distal gastrectomy in terms of POPF.