Oncologic safety of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy in pT2 gallbladder cancer: A propensity score matching analysis compared to open approach

The role of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy (LRC) in the surgical management of T2 gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is still controversial.The medical records of patients with T2 GBC treated with radical cholecystectomy were retrospectively reviewed. In this study, we compare the short- and long-term oncologic outcomes, using propensity score matching analysis, of patients with T2 GBC who underwent LRC and open radical cholecystectomy (ORC).Among 183 patients, 86 were selected by propensity score matching (LRC = 43 and ORC = 43). The ORC group underwent more extensive surgery (liver resections and extended lymph node dissections [ELND]) than the LRC group. The LRC group had less operative blood loss, shorter length of hospital stay, fewer complications, and had the earlier start of adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no significant difference between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups in terms of 5-year overall survival rate (64.6% vs 80.4%, P = .214) and disease-free survival rate (77.1% vs 82.2%, P = .641). A subgroup analyses showed that liver resection and ELND had no survival advantage compared to no liver resection and regional lymph node dissection, respectively.Our LRC approach is safe and effective, with long-term survival comparable to that of ORC.