[Impact of obesity on laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of obesity on the short-term outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy.


METHODS
A total of 531 gastric cancer patients underwent radical resection at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between May 2007 and June 2010. There were 83 patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) (obese group) and 448 patients with BMI<25 kg/m(2) (non-obese group). Intraoperative and postoperative parameters, and short-term survival rates between the two groups were compared.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between obese and non-obese patients in terms of conversion rate (2.4% vs. 1.8%, P>0.05). The operative time in obese group was (224.7 ± 57.3) min, which was significantly longer than that in non-obese group [(210.0 ± 57.9) min, P<0.05]. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between obese and non-obese groups in terms of blood loss, blood transfusion rate, elevated leukocyte and granulocyte count on the first postoperative day, time to temperature recovery, first flatus, and postoperative hospital stays(P>0.05). The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes in obese group was (24.8 ± 8.4), and was significantly less than that of non-obese group[(29.9 ± 10.2), P<0.05]. There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese groups in postoperative complication rate (16.8% vs. 10.2%, P>0.05), postoperative mortality(1.2% vs. 0.4%, P>0.05), and 3-year overall survival (68.8% vs. 74.0%, P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is associated with prolonged operative time for laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. However, the short-term outcomes after the laparoscopic radical gastrectomy is not influenced by obesity.
Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Jian-xin
JX
Chen
Chang-ming
CM
Huang
Chao-hui
CH
Zheng
Ping
P
Li
Jian-wei
JW
Xie
Jia-bin
JB
Wang
Jian-xian
JX
Lin
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome