title: The benefit of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy compared with conventional open distal gastrectomy: a case-matched control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy is a surgical procedure which is safe, useful, and technically feasible for patients with early gastric cancer. The aim of this study is to determine whether laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy is also superior to conventional open distal gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 27 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer who were admitted to our hospital from 1997 to 2000 and underwent distal gastrectomy. Ten patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy; and 17 conventional open distal gastrectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estimated blood loss was 17.7 +/- 12.1 g during laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy, and 250.0 +/- 160.8 g during conventional open distal gastrectomy. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The day of ambulation (2.7 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.0), and start of liquid diet (6.9 +/- 1.2 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.5) were significantly delayed in conventional open distal gastrectomy compared with laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (p < 0.001, p < 0.05). At the 3rd postoperative day, the serum C-reactive protein level in laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy decreased significantly more than that in conventional open distal gastrectomy (4.2 +/- 1.7 vs. 9.4 +/- 2.5: p < 0.05). No postoperative complication was found in laparaoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy is a safe and useful operation for most early gastric cancers. Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy has been superior to conventional open distal gastrectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oita National Hospital, 2-11-45 Yokota, Oita 870-0263, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Migoh
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasuda
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011178:Postgastrectomy Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*