Is the 5-ports approach necessary in laparoscopic gastrectomy? Feasibility of reduced-port totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for the treatment of gastric cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background/Aim: Interest of gastric cancer patients in the quality of life postoperatively with respect to reduced scarring is increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of reduced-port totally laparoscopic gastrectomy (RepTLG) for the treatment of gastric cancer. Methods: In total, 170 patients who underwent RepTLG (n = 97) or conventional totally laparoscopic gastrectomy (cTLG) (n = 73) were enrolled. Clinicopathological features, operative details, and short-term postoperative outcomes were analyzed retrospectively and compared between groups. Results: There were no significant differences for preoperative comorbidity between the RepTLG and c TLG groups, although patients in the RepTLG group were older than those in the cTLG group (63.5 ± 11.1 vs. 59.3 ± 10.6; p = 0.014). Operating time was shorter in the RepTLG group compared to the cTLG group (187.5 ± 67.7 min vs. 219.6 ± 43.3 min; p < 0.001) and duration of flatus of the RepTLG group was shorter than that of the cTLG group (2.7 ± 0.6 days vs. 2.9 ± 0.8 days; p = 0.016). Conclusion: RepTLG is a reliable scar reducing method with good operative and short-term outcomes for the treatment of gastric cancer compared with cTLG.