title: The long-term results of distal gastrectomy by mini-laparotomy in early gastric cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radical distal gastrectomy by mini-laparotomy is an alternative surgical treatment modality with technical feasibility in early gastric cancer (EGC) patients. The aim of this study is to assess the oncologic feasibility of distal gastrectomy by mini-laparotomy in EGC patients through a long-term survival analysis based on the prospectively collected data.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2003 to November 2003, a total of 53 EGC patients who received distal gastrectomy by laparotomy were enrolled in this study. These patients were divided into two groups, that is, the mini-laparotomy group (ML, n = 22) and the conventional laparotomy group (CL, n = 31). A comparative long-term survival analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospital stay was significantly shorter in mini-laparotomy group (P = 0.002). However, there were no significant differences in the pathologic results such as the resection margin and the number of harvested lymph nodes. In long-term survival results, there were no significant differences in disease-free and overall survival rate of the patients according to the method of laparotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radical distal gastrectomy by mini-laparotomy in EGC patients would be also one of the minimally invasive surgical modality in oncologic aspect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505, Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, 137-701, South Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hae Myung
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Han Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyo Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Cho Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors