Preoperative laparoscopy and peritoneal lavage in gastric adenocarcinoma: can the approach be modified?

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess whether laparoscopy with peritoneal lavage is superior to computed tomography for staging gastric adenocarcinoma and whether it can modify the surgical approach. Methods: we conducted a retrospective study of 46 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma treated by the digestive surgery team of the Passo Fundo Clinics Hospital (RS), from January 2015 to December 2018, and submitted to laparoscopy with preoperative peritoneal lavage. All patients underwent preoperative clinical staging with computed tomography. Results: of the 46 patients analyzed, the majority had tumors located in the cardia (34.8%), poorly differentiated (69.6%), and subtype signet ring cells (65.2%). In 91.3%, the computed tomography scan did not identify peritoneal carcinomatosis or distant metastasis. Among these patients with negative computed tomography for distant disease, 21.8% had positive peritoneal lavage for neoplastic cells and had their therapeutic approaches modified. Conclusion: laparoscopy and peritoneal lavage altered the surgical decision in 21.8% of patients, providing a more reliable preoperative staging in gastric adenocarcinoma.