Postoperative suppression of inflammatory cytokines after distal gastrectomy in elderly patients

Purpose Surgical procedures are being performed on elderly people with increasing frequency, but accordingly, postoperative complications and mortality rates are higher than for younger patients. We conducted this study to establish if cytokine responses after distal gastrectomy in elderly patients differ from those in younger patients. Methods Twenty-one patients undergoing distal gastrectomy were divided into two groups based on age: the elderly group consisted of 10 patients aged ≥75 years, and the younger group consisted of 11 patients aged