The short-term outcome in esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma patients receiving total gastrectomy: laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy--a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the quality of life in Siewert type II esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma patients receiving either laparoscopic total gastrectomy or open total gastrectomy.

METHODS

From Sep 1, 2008 to May 1, 2012, totally 204 consecutive patients with Siewert type II esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma were involved in this retrospective study. Patients were assigned to receive either laparoscopic total gastrectomy or open total gastrectomy. Details concerning the postoperative outcomes and the quality of life questionnaire were collected and compared.

RESULTS

Totally 104 patients were involved in the open gastrectomy group and 100 in the laparoscopic gastrectomy group. No differences were noted between the groups in demographics, blood loss, anastomotic leak, anastomotic stricture, hospital stay, reoperation and in-hospital mortality. Totally 188 cases of patients (92.16%) responded to the questionnaire measures during the entire follow-up period, including 93 (93%) in the laparoscopic group and 95 (91.35%) in the open group. The score of every scale and item in laparoscopic group improved much more quickly comparing with the open group, suggesting that patients in laparoscopic group recovered much more quickly than those in open group.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy could lead to a significant improvement of the short-term benefits for patients with esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma as compared with open group.