Safety and efficacy of fast-track surgery in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Fast-track surgery has been shown to enhance postoperative recovery in several surgical fields. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fast-track surgery in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

Methods: The present study was designed as a single-center, randomized, unblinded, parallel-group trial. Patients were eligible if they had gastric cancer for which laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was indicated. The fast-track surgery protocol included intensive preoperative education, a short duration of fasting, a preoperative carbohydrate load, early postoperative ambulation, early feeding, and sufficient pain control using local anesthetics perfused via a local anesthesia pump device, with limited use of opioids. The primary endpoint was the duration of possible and actual postoperative hospital stay.

Results: We randomized 47 patients into a fast-track group (n=22) and a conventional pathway group (n=22), with three patients withdrawn. The possible and actual postoperative hospital stays were shorter in the fast-track group than in the conventional group (4.68±0.65 vs. 7.05±0.65; P<0.001 and 5.36±1.46 vs. 7.95±1.98; P<0.001). The time to first flatus and pain intensity were not different between groups; however, a greater frequency of additional pain control was needed in the conventional group (3.64±3.66 vs. 1.64±1.33; P=0.023). The fast-track group was superior to the conventional group in several factors of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, including: fatigue, appetite loss, financial problems, and anxiety. The complication and readmission rates were similar between groups.

Conclusions: Fast-track surgery could enhance postoperative recovery, improve immediate postoperative quality of life, and be safely applied in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.