Key clinical point: Compared with laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG), robotic-assisted distal gastrectomy (RADG) results in less operative blood loss, more retrieved lymph nodes (LN), and similar complication rates and oncological outcomes in advanced gastric cancer.
Major finding: Patients who underwent RADG vs LADG had lower operative blood loss (139.3 ± 97.8 vs 167.3 ± 134.2 mL; P < .001); higher retrieved LN number (31.4 ± 12.1 vs 29.4 ± 12.3; P = .015); and similar overall complication rate (13.7% vs 16.6%; P = .242), 3-year overall survival rate (75.5% vs 73.1%; P = .471), and 3-year disease-free survival rate (72.9% vs 71.4%; P = .763).
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective study that propensity score-matched patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent RADG (n = 410) with those who underwent LADG (n = 410).
Disclosures: This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Gao G et al. Surgical and oncological outcomes of robotic- versus laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis of 1164 patients. World J Surg Oncol. 2022;20:315 (Sep 28). Doi: 10.1186/s12957-022-02778-w