Randomized trial shows comparable surgical outcomes in laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy for T4a gastric cancer, indicating safety of laparoscopic techniques.
Key Points
To compare short-term surgical outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and open distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for clinical T4a gastric cancer.
Conducted as a noninferiority randomized clinical trial at a tertiary hospital in Vietnam.
208 patients with clinical T4a gastric cancer were randomly assigned 1:1 to undergo either laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy.
Surgical results and postoperative complications were monitored for 30 days post-surgery.
No significant differences in 30-day morbidity or mortality observed between the laparoscopic and open groups.
Laparoscopic group had significantly longer operative time and higher blood loss compared to the open group.
Comorbidity identified as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications.