OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of visceral fat area(VFA) on laparoscopic radical gastrectomy and short-term outcome in patients with gastric carcinoma.

METHODSClinicopathological and imaging data of 202 patients with gastric cancer who were treated by laparoscopic radical gastrectomy in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from May 2011 to July 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. VFA of all the patients were measured by CT, of which more than 10 000 m(2) were found in 104 patients(VFA-L group), less than 10 000 m2 in other 98 patients (VFA-S group). Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere were no differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss and number of harvested lymph node between the two groups(all P>0.05). As compared to VFA-S group, VFA-L group had a higher incidence of conversion to open surgery[9.6%(10/104) vs. 2.0%(2/98), P=0.023], higher complication rate [22.1%(23/104) vs. 10.2%(10/98), P=0.003], longer postoperative fever time [(3.0±1.3) d vs. (2.4±1.1) d, P=0.000], total length of hospital stay [(18.6±11.8) d vs. (15.8±6.0) d, P=0.039]. There were no significant differences in first flatus passage time and total hospitalization costs between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONElevated VFA can raise the difficulty of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, increase the risk of postoperative complication and prolong the postoperative recovery.