title: Short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderly patients are regarded as being at increased risk during major abdominal surgery because of a lack of functional reserve and an increased number of comorbidities. The aim of this study was to compare short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy between elderly and young gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred ten patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer at our institution between January 2001 and December 2011 were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into two age groups (younger than 70 years and older than 70 years) and were evaluated with respect to postoperative morbidity, quality of life (QOL), and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative morbidity was similar in elderly and young groups (18.3 vs. 21.6 %; P = 0.718). Overall survival of the elderly group was significantly worse than that of the young group (P < 0.001). However, disease-specific survival was not significantly different between the two groups. Longitudinal postoperative change in QOL in the elderly group showed a recovery similar to that in the young group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic gastrectomy can be performed as safely in elderly patients as in young patients, with comparable postoperative results and long-term outcomes, including QOL, although the life expectancy of elderly patients is shorter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan, ya-mohri@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mohri
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saigusa
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okigami
authors.forename: Tadanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimura
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome