title: A hand-assisted laparoscopic distal gastrectomy can be an effective way in obese patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility and safety of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer in obese patients, we compared the operative outcomes between obese and nonobese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 114 patients suffering from gastric cancer operated in our department from October 2009 to February 2012 were divided into 2 groups: the obese patients group and the nonobese patients group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound length, times of analgesic injection, time to the first flatus, postoperative hospital stay, tumor size, retrieved lymph nodes, AJCC/UICC staging, and resection margins were equivalent between the 2 groups. The estimated blood loss and operative time were significantly less or shorter in the nonobese patients group than in the obese patients group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity should not be seen as a contraindication for hand-assisted laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, which is a safe and feasible procedure for obese patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China. zhangshang1995@126.com
authors.forename: Guang-tan
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D058733:Hand-Assisted Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome