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The impact of old age on surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer

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Abstract

Background

Old age is regarded as the risk factor of major abdominal surgery due to the lack of functional reserve and the increased presence of comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of old age on the surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods

This study enrolled 389 gastric cancer patients who underwent totally laparoscopic gastrectomy at Hanyang University Guri Hospital and ASAN Medical Center. The patients were classified into two groups according to age as those older than 70 years and those younger than 70 years. Early surgical outcomes such as operation time, postoperative complications, time to first flatus, days until soft diet began, and hospital stay were evaluated. Results: No patient was converted to open surgery. The two groups differed significantly in terms of overall postoperative complication rate, time to first flatus, days until soft diet began, and hospital stay. The patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy differed in incidence of postoperative ileus but not in severe postoperative complication rate.

Conclusions

The results of this study demonstrated that old age can have an effect on the surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy. This study especially showed that elderly patients are affected by the return of bowel movement after totally laparoscopic gastrectomy. On the other hand, however, it is presumed that old age has not had a serious impact on surgical outcomes in totally laparoscopic gastrectomy because no difference in the severe postoperative complication rate was observed.

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Disclosures

Min Gyu Kim, Hee Sung Kim, Byung Sik Kim, and Sung Joon Kwon have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Hanyang Medical Center, Hanyang University School of Medicine, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Min Gyu Kim & Sung Joon Kwon

  2. Department of Surgery, ASAN Medical Center, Ulsan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Hee Sung Kim & Byung Sik Kim

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  1. Min Gyu Kim
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Correspondence to Sung Joon Kwon.

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Kim, M.G., Kim, H.S., Kim, B.S. et al. The impact of old age on surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Surg Endosc 27, 3990–3997 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-013-3073-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-013-3073-6

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