Influence of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy for early gallbladder cancer on surgical performance, postoperative recuperation, and complication rates

doi:10.4240/wjgs.v18.i5.114460

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Publication Name

World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

ISSN

1948-9366

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

Retrospective Study

Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Gastrointest Surg. May 27, 2026; 18(5): 114460
Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i5.114460

Influence of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy for early gallbladder cancer on surgical performance, postoperative recuperation, and complication rates

Yuan-Hong Wu, Ming-Long Pu, Yan Cao, Gong Cheng, Tao Li

Yuan-Hong Wu, Ming-Long Pu, Yan Cao, Gong Cheng, Tao Li, Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu 476100, Henan Province, China

Author contributions: Wu YH conceived and designed the study, and drafted the manuscript; Wu YH, Pu ML, Cao Y and Cheng G collected, analyzed and interpreted the experimental data; Wu YH and Li T revised the manuscript for important intellectual content; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

AI contribution statement: All of us, the authors, hereby declare that we have not used AI to assist in writing this article.

Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of the First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu.

Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.

Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.

Corresponding author: Tao Li, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu, No. 292 Kaixuan South Road, Shangqiu 476100, Henan Province, China. litaosqsyy@163.com

Received: November 14, 2025
Revised: December 29, 2025
Accepted: January 28, 2026
Published online: May 27, 2026
Processing time: 194 Days and 5.6 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic surgery is the standard therapy for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers; however, its application in gallbladder cancer (GBC) remains cautious, and its clinical advantages require further validation.

AIM

To compare surgical performance, postoperative recovery, and complication rates between patients with early GBC undergoing laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy (LRC) and those receiving open radical cholecystectomy.

METHODS

A total of 89 patients treated between July 2022 and July 2024 were assigned to a control group (open radical cholecystectomy, n = 40) or a research group (LRC, n = 49). Outcomes included surgical performance (intraoperative bleeding, incision length, and surgical duration); pathological indicators (lymph node yield and surgical margins); recovery indices (time of ambulation, GI function recovery, and length of hospital stay); postoperative complications (wound infection, biliary fistula, intra-abdominal infection); stress markers (adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine); and quality-of-life assessed using the Generic Quality-of-Life Inventory-74.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the research group had reduced blood loss, smaller incisions, shorter operative time, faster postoperative recovery (earlier ambulation, quicker GI function recovery, and shorter hospital stay), and fewer complications. Postoperative adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine levels increased in both groups but remained significantly lower in the research group. Postoperative Generic Quality-of-Life Inventory-74 scores across psychological, physical, social, and material domains were significantly higher in the research group. No significant between-group differences were observed in lymph node yield or surgical margins.

CONCLUSION

LRC offers patents with early GBC improved surgical performance, enhanced postoperative recovery, and reduced complication rates.

Keywords: Laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy; Early gallbladder cancer; Surgical performance; Postoperative recovery; Complications

Core Tip: This study compared two surgical approaches for early gallbladder cancer and demonstrated that laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy provides superior clinical outcomes compared with open surgery. Specifically, laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy significantly improves surgical performance, promote postoperative recovery, reduces overall postoperative complications, alleviates surgical stress, and enhance patients’ quality-of-life.