Completely laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy for early and advanced gastric cancer: a matched cohort study.

Introduction: The application of laparoscopic gastric surgery has rapidly increased for the treatment of early gastric cancer. However, laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced tumor remains controversial, particularly in terms of oncologic outcomes. This study was designed to compare 3-year survival of laparoscopic versus open curative gastrectomy in early and advanced gastric cancer.