Laparoscopy-assisted Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer in Elderly Patients: Surgical Outcomes and Prognosis

Elderly patients usually have various comorbidities. Laparoscopic gastrectomy as a minimally-invasive treatment might be feasible for these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) in elderly patients with gastric cancer by comparing the surgical outcomes and prognosis. We analyzed 136 patients who had undergone LADG between January 2013 and December 2014. We compared elderly patients (75 years old or more) with non-elderly patients. The incidence of all postoperative complications did not differ between groups, and there were no significant differences in the time to first oral intake or the duration of postoperative hospital stay. The 3-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates were not significantly different between the groups. LADG is a safe and less invasive treatment for gastric cancer in elderly patients, who have a greater incidence of comorbidity.