Abstract: Objective:To investigate the application value of Clavien-Dindo classification in evaluation of postoperative short-term complications of Da Vinci robotic-assisted or laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy with D₂ lymphadenectomy.
Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 262 patients with gastric cancer who were admitted to the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of Chinese People′s Liberation Army from January 2016 to January 2019 were collected. There were 214 males and 48 females, aged (58±11) years, with a range from 17 to 81 years. Of 262 patients, 120 cases undergoing Da Vinci robotic-assisted total gastrectomy + D₂ lymphadenectomy + Roux-en-Y anastomosis were divided into robotic group, and 142 cases undergoing laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy + D₂ lymphadenectomy + Roux-en-Y anastomosis were divided into laparoscopic group. Observation indicators: (1) intraoperative and postoperative situations; (2) postoperative pathological examination; (3)complications; (4) stratified analysis; (5) follow-up. Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect complications, tumor recurrence and survival of patients within postoperative 2 months. The follow-up was up to May 2019. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range), and comparison between groups was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Comparison of ranked data between groups was analyzed using the rank sum test.
Results:(1) Intraoperative and postoperative situations: cases undergoing conversion to open surgery, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, the number of lymph node dissected, time to first flatus, time to initial fluid diet intake, duration of postoperative hospital stay of the robotic group were 1, (243±42)minutes, 100 mL(range, 100-150 mL), 38±15, (2.8±1.0)days, 3 days(range, 3-4 days), 11 days(range, 9-13 days), respectively. The above indicators of the laparoscopic group were 2, (244±38)minutes, 100 mL(range, 100-150 mL), 34±14, (3.2±1.0)days, 4 days(range, 3-5 days), 10 days(range, 9-13 days), respectively. There were significant differences in the number of lymph node dissected, time to first flatus, time to initial fluid diet intake between the two groups (t=2.068, -3.030, Z=-3.370, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in cases undergoing conversion to open surgery, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay between the two groups (x²=0.000, t=-0.158, Z=-1.824, -0.088, P>0.05). (2) Postoperative pathological examination: cases with well differentiated tumor, moderately differentiated tumor, poorly differentiated tumor, signet ring cell carcinoma or other types of tumor, cases in stage T1b, T2, T3 or T4a (pT staging), cases in stage N0, N1, N2, N3a or N3b (pN staging), cases in stage ⅠB, ⅡA, ⅡB, ⅢA, ⅢB or ⅢC (pTNM staging) of the robotic group were 6, 50, 55, 9, 10, 22, 63, 25, 42, 19, 19, 24, 16, 17, 22, 23, 20, 23, 15, respectively. The above indicators of the laparoscopic group were 4, 42, 84, 12, 6, 18, 81, 37, 39, 27, 32, 19, 25, 13, 19, 28, 39, 16, 27, respectively. There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups (Z=-1.880, -1.827, -0.140, -1.460, P>0.05). (3) Complications: cases with complication classified as grade Ⅰ, grade Ⅱ, grade Ⅲa, grade Ⅲb, grade Ⅳa, grade Ⅳb of Clavien-Dindo classification, cases with death, cases with overall complications, cases with severe complications of the robotic group were 9, 6, 3, 2, 2, 0, 0, 22, 7, respectively. The above indicators of the laparoscopic group were 12, 15, 9, 6, 3, 1, 1, 47, 20, respectively. There were significant differences in cases with overall complications, cases with severe complications between the two groups (x²=7.309, 4.790, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in cases with complication classified as grade Ⅰ, grade Ⅱ, grade Ⅲa, grade Ⅲb, grade Ⅳa, grade Ⅳb of Clavien-Dindo classification, cases with death between the two groups (x²=0.080, 2.730, 1.042, 0.704, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, P>0.05). (4) Stratified analysis: of the patients with overall complications in robotic group, cases of male or female, cases aged ≥65 years or <65 years, cases with body mass index (BMI) ≥24 kg/m² or <24 kg/m², cases with tumor diameter ≥5 cm or <5 cm, cases with or without abdominal surgery, cases with tumor located at upper stomach or middle stomach, cases in Ⅰ-Ⅱ grade or Ⅲ grade of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, cases with well differentiated tumor or undifferentiated tumor, cases in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ or stage Ⅲ (pTNM staging), cases with operation time ≥250 minutes or <250 minutes, cases with volume of intraoperative blood loss ≥150 mL or <150 mL, cases with the number of lymph node dissected ≥25 or <25 were 15, 7, 14, 8, 11, 11, 16, 6, 4, 18, 19, 3, 15, 7, 7, 15, 8, 14, 12, 10, 12, 10, 14, 8, respectively. The above indicators of patients with overall complications in the laparoscopic group were 33, 14, 17, 30, 16, 31, 36, 11, 11, 36, 27, 20, 31, 16, 13, 34, 14, 33, 24, 23, respectively. Of the patients with overall complication, there were significant differences in cases of male, cases aged ≥65 years or <65 years, cases with BMI<24 kg/m², cases with tumor diameter≥5 cm, cases without abdominal surgery, cases with tumor located at middle stomach, cases in Ⅰ-Ⅱ grade or Ⅲ grade of ASA classification, cases with well differentiated tumor, cases in stage Ⅲ (pTNM staging), cases with operation time ≥250 minutes, cases with volume of intraoperative blood loss <150 mL, cases with the number of lymph node dissected ≥25 between the two groups (x²=6.683, 4.207, 6.761, 7.438, 4.297, 6.325, 9.433, 3.970, 4.850, 4.911, 3.952, 3.915, 6.865, 4.128, P<0.05) and there was no significant difference in cases of female, cases with BMI≥24 kg/m², cases with tumor diameter <5 cm, cases with abdominal surgery, cases with tumor located at upper stomach, cases with undifferentiated tumor, cases in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ (pTNM staging), cases with operation time < 250 minutes, cases with volume of intraoperative blood loss ≥150 mL, cases with the number of lymph node dissected <25 between the two groups (x²=0.277, 1.052, 1.996, 1.552, 2.172, 2.594, 2.244, 3.771, 1.627, 3.223, P>0.05). (5) Follow-up: 262 patients were followed up postoperatively for 2 months. During the follow-up, no patient was diagnosed with tumor recurrence, and one patient in the laparoscopic group died of severe infection.
Conclusions: The Clavien-Dindo classification can be used in evaluating postoperative short-term complications of Da Vinci robotic-assisted or laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy with D₂ lymphadenectomy. Compared with laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy with D₂ lymphadenectomy, Da Vinci robotic-assisted total gastrectomy with D₂ lymphadenectomy has the advantages of minimally invasiveness, low incidence of overall and severe complication.