OBJECTIVE

To analyze the primary experience of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in patients with distal gastric cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

There were 21 laparoscopic distal gastrectomies in patients with antrum malignancies. Mean age of patients was 63.7±6.3 years. According to TNM staging system, cancer stage I was detected in 90% of patients (n=19), stage IIa — in 10% (n=2) of patients.

RESULTS

Duration of distal gastrectomy was 190.4±51.6 minutes, blood loss — 90.3±51.2 ml. The number of harvested lymph nodes was 21.2±5.1. We were able to reach R0 resection edge in all patients. Length of hospital-stay was 7.6±2.3 days, incidence of postoperative complications — 23.8%. Complications Clavien-Dindo grade IIIb-V were observed in 9.5% of patients (n=2). Overall postoperative mortality was 4.7% (n=1). No progression of the underlying disease has been revealed in any patient throughout the follow-up period (since May 2018). To date, the maximum median follow-up is 25 months of overall and disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic subtotal distal resection is appropriate intervention ensuring R0 resection edge in most cases.