title: Effect of obesity on technical feasibility and postoperative outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy--comparison with open distal gastrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) in obese and non-obese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised 248 consecutive patients who underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 1999 and December 2005. Patients with body mass index (BMI) > or = 25 kg/m2 were defined as obese, and patients with BMI < 25 kg/m2 were defined as non-obese. Parameters analyzed included patients characteristics, tumor characteristics, operative details, postoperative outcomes, and prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For LADG, 35 patients were considered obese, and 106 patients were non-obese. For ODG, 25 patients were considered obese, and 82 patients were non-obese. Mean operative times in each procedure were significantly longer for the obese group than for the non-obese group (ODG: 241.4 min vs. 199.5 min, p < 0.0001; LADG: 279.6 min vs. 255.3 min, p = 0.03). Blood loss was significantly higher for the obese group than for the non-obese group in ODG (300 ml vs. 400 ml, p = 0.024), but no significant differences were observed between obese and non-obese groups for LADG. Incidence of major postoperative complications, number of retrieved lymph nodes, and disease-free survival rates were similar in obese and non-obese groups for each procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analysis revealed that LADG can be safely performed in obese patients, with complication rates and operation outcomes similar to those for non-obese patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Esophagogastric Surgery, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan. h-yamada.srg2@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Mikito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.forename: Tatsuyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugihara
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019160:Endosonography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome