Meta-analysis of laparoscopic vs. open resection of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors

BackgroundThis meta-analysis compared laparoscopic surgery (LAP) and open resection (OPEN) for the treatment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with regard to feasibility and safety.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for studies published before March 2016 comparing the LAP and OPEN procedures for GISTs. RevMan 5.1 software was used for the meta-analysis.ResultsIn total, 28 studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The mean tumor sizes in the OPEN and LAP groups were 4.54 and 5.67 cm. Compared with the OPEN patients, the LAP patients experienced shorter surgical times (P = 0.05), less blood loss (P5 cm), the present study did not report significant differences in operation time (P = 0.93), postoperative complications (P = 0.30), or recurrence rate (P = 0.61) between the two groups, though LAP was associated with favorable results regarding blood loss (P = 0.03) and hospital stay (PConclusionsCompared with the OPEN procedure, the LAP procedure is associated with preferable short-term postoperative outcomes and does not compromise long-term oncological outcomes. For gastric GISTs >5 cm, no significant difference was detected between LAP and OPEN if patient selection and intraoperative decisions were carefully considered.