Minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer: A comparison between robotic, laparoscopic and open surgery

AIM To investigate the role of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer and determine surgical, clinical, and oncological outcomes.METHODS This is a propensity score-matched case-control study, comparing three treatment arms: robotic gastrectomy(RG), laparoscopic gastrectomy(LG), open gastrectomy(OG). Data collection started after sharing a specific study protocol. Data were recorded through a tailored and protected web-based system. Primary outcomes: harvested lymph nodes, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, complications rate. Among the secondary outcomes, there are: operative time, R0 resections, POD of mobilization, POD of starting liquid diet and soft solid diet. The analysis includes the evaluation of type and grade of postoperative complications. Detailed information of anastomotic leakages is also provided.RESULTS The present analysis was carried out of 1026 gastrectomies. To guarantee homogenous distribution of cases, patients in the RG, LG and OG groups were 1:1:2 matched using a propensity score analysis with a caliper = 0.2. The successful matching resulted in a total sample of 604 patients(RG = 151; LG = 151; OG = 302). The three groups showed no differences in all baseline patients characteristics, type of surgery(P = 0.42) and stage of the disease(P = 0.16). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in the LG(95.93 ± 119.22) and RG(117.91 ± 68.11) groups compared to the OG(127.26 ± 79.50, P = 0.002). The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was similar between the RG(27.78 ± 11.45), LG(24.58 ± 13.56) and OG(25.82 ± 12.07) approach. A benefit in favor of the minimally invasive approaches was found in the length of hospital stay(P < 0.0001). A similar complications rate was found(P = 0.13). The leakage rate was not different(P = 0.78) between groups.CONCLUSION Laparoscopic and robotic surgery can be safely performed and proposed as possible alternative to open surgery. The main highlighted benefit is a faster postoperative functional recovery.

Intravenous iron supplementation may be superior to observation in acute isovolemic anemia after gastrectomy for cancer

AIM:To determine whether the application of postoperative intravenous(IV)-iron for acute isovolemic anemia after gastrectomy for cancer may be effective.METHODS:Among 2078 gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery between February 2007 and August2009 at the National Cancer Center Korea,368 patients developed post-operative anemia[hemoglobin-(Hb)-level<9 g/dL]within the first postoperative week.Patients requiring transfusions were excluded.IV-iron was administered to 63 patients(iron group).Sixty patients were observed without treatment(observation group).The clinical outcomes of the groups were compared concerning clinicopathologic data,morbidity,and changes in Hb levels using Fisher’s exact test,Student’s t-test and the Z-test.RESULTS:The initial Hb level was higher in the iron group than in the observation group(7.3±1.0 g/dL vs8.4±0.5 g/dL,P<0.001).The slope of the changes in the Hb level was significantly higher in the iron group than in the observation group(0.648±0.054 vs 0.349±0.038,P<0.001).The Hb level 1 and 3 mo postoperatively increased from 10.7±1.3 to 11.9±1.3g/dL in the iron group(P=0.033)and from 10.1±1.0to 10.8±1.4 g/dL in the observation group(P<0.001).The postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in the iron group than in the observation group(10.5±6.8 d vs 7.6±5.5 d,P=0.011).There were no significant differences in the major and surgical complications between the groups(6.3%vs 13.3%,P=0.192;9.5%vs 3.3%,P=0.164).CONCLUSION:IV-iron supplementation may be an effective treatment for post-operative isovolemic postgastrectomy anemia and may be a better alternative than observation.