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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2026; 32(23): 118489
Published online Jun 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i23.118489
Published online Jun 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i23.118489
Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy remains safe and feasible for gastric cancer patients with a history of upper abdominal surgery
Peng Wang, Xu Liu, Yu-Juan Jiang, Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Aca
Yan-Jun Song, Department of General Surgery, People’s Hospital of Shangdang District, Changzhi 047100, Shanxi Province, China
Yuan He, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Heping Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi 046000, Shanxi Province, China
Yu-Bao Song, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
Co-first authors: Peng Wang and Yan-Jun Song.
Co-corresponding authors: Yuan He and Yu-Bao Song.
Author contributions: Wang P, Song YJ, Liu X, and Jiang YJ contributed to data curation, formal analysis, and data visualization; Wang P and Song YJ contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Wang P, Song YJ, He Y, and Song YB conceived and designed the study, drafted the manuscript, and approved the final version for publication; He Y and Song YB validated the results and revised the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors reviewed and approved the final version and agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work.
AI contribution statement: The entirety or any portion of the main text of the manuscript was not AI-generated. The AI tool was not used for language polishing, translation, data analysis, or writing assistance of the manuscript. The AI tool did not participate in design of the study or interpretation of its results. This study was designed by our team. No image in the manuscript was generated by AI.
Supported by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, No. 2025-I2M-C&T-B-060.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, approval No. NCC2025C-660.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Yu-Bao Song, Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shan
Received: January 6, 2026
Revised: January 29, 2026
Accepted: March 5, 2026
Published online: June 21, 2026
Processing time: 155 Days and 22.6 Hours
Revised: January 29, 2026
Accepted: March 5, 2026
Published online: June 21, 2026
Processing time: 155 Days and 22.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study used propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients with a history of upper abdominal surgery. The results showed that although laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy required a longer operative time, it was associated with faster postoperative recovery and a shorter hospital stay. Moreover, even among patients at high risk of intra-abdominal adhesions, the laparoscopic approach was not an independent predictor of surgical difficulty. Therefore, laparoscopic surgery should not be considered a contraindication in gastric cancer patients with prior upper abdominal surgery.