title: A meta-analysis of fast track surgery for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This meta-analysis evaluated the safety and efficacy of fast track surgery (FTS) for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 1995 and 21 June 2013 comparing FTS with conventional perioperative care for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy were identified in the PubMed, Embase™ and Cochrane Library databases, and were analysed systematically using RevMan software (Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven RCTs (524 patients) were analysed. Compared with conventional perioperative care, FTS treatment with/without laparoscopy was associated with shorter postoperative hospitalisation, less hospitalisation expenditure (both p<0.00001), less pain and better quality of life. Short-term morbidity and readmission rates did not differ between treatments. No incidents of death occurred during the short-term follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy, the FTS pathway reduces the length and cost of postoperative hospitalisation while maintaining short-term morbidity, readmission and mortality rates comparable with those of conventional care.
authors.affiliation: Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors