Laparoscopy-Assisted Distal Gastrectomy Compared to Open Distal Gastrectomy in Early Gastric Cancer

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) in early gastric cancer (EGC) with special interest in a learning curve effect. Methods: The clinical outcomes of EGC patients who underwent LADG (n = 100) and sex-, age- and body mass index- (BMI) matched EGC patients who underwent open distal gastrectomy (ODG; n = 100) were compared retrospectively. In addition, the outcomes between the early (n = 50) and late LADG group (n = 50) were compared. Results: The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was significantly smaller in the LADG group than in the ODG group (29.3 vs. 36.4, p < 0.001). The operative time of the LADG group was significantly longer than in the ODG group (249.1 vs. 152.9 min, p < 0.001). The complication rates were comparable between both groups (14 vs. 13%, p = 0.84). No cancer-related death was observed in either group. Between early and late LADG groups, the operative time was shorter (p < 0.001) and the number of retrieved lymph nodes was higher (p = 0.016) in the late group. Conclusions: LADG seems to be a safe and feasible procedure in treating EGC, as it shows comparable outcomes with ODG. The potential disadvantages of LADG, such as longer operation time and smaller number of retrieved lymph nodes, diminished after overcoming the learning curve.