Feasibility of laparoscopy gastrectomy for gastric cancer in the patients with high body mass index: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of high body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcome of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC). Systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase databases. The relevant data were extracted, and surgical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between BMI≥25 kg/m and BMI<25 kg/m group using a fixed effect model or random effect model. 16 studies, with a total of 9572 GC patients, were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that operation time was significantly longer (WMD:16.22, 95% CI: 14.10-18.34, P < 0.001; I = 0%) and the number of lymph nodes retrieved was significantly fewer (WMD:-2.11, 95%CI: -3.14, -1.07, P < 0.001; I = 64.0%) in high BMI patients than in other patients. In addition, the amount of intraoperative blood loss was significantly larger in high BMI patients (WMD: 23.43, 95%CI: 20.05-26.81, P < 0.001; I = 40.3%). Compared with non-high BMI patients, overweight and obese patients had a higher risk of postoperative complications (RR:1.26, 95%CI: 1.11-1.43, P < 0.001; I = 39.1%), especially for wound infection (RR:1.62, 95%CI: 1.15-2.29, P < 0.01; I = 18.8%) and postoperative ileus (RR:1.80, 95% CI: 1.05-3.09, P < 0.05; I = 0%). However, there was no significant difference between two patient groups for postoperative recovery, major surgery-related complications (eg: anastomotic leakage, pancreatic fistula and intra-abdominal bleeding) and postoperative mortality. Despite increased technical challenge and risk of postoperative complications, the majority of these complications may be minor and cured. Laparoscopic gastrectomy for GC was a feasible and safe procedure even for high BMI patients.