A Retrospective Study of Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy Guided by Carbon Nanoparticle Suspension Injection Lymphography for Gastric Cancer

Background The use of lymph node (LN) tracers can help obtain a complete dissection of the LNs and increase the detection rate of metastatic LNs. Carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI) has become increasingly used in radical gastrectomy procedures. This study is designed to evaluate the quality of LN dissection in gastric cancer patients with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy under the guidance of CNSI lymphography. Method This was a retrospective cohort study including patients with a pathological biopsy diagnosis of resectable gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. Data was focused on patients at [Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University] from July 2023 to January 2024. Patients were divided into the CNSI group and control group after 1:1 propensity score matching analysis. The median number of LNs harvested was compared between groups. Perioperative status and any complications that arose within 30 days were also analyzed. Result After 1:1 propensity matching analysis, there were 49 patients each in the CNSI group and control group. The median number of harvested LNs was larger in the CNSI group than the control group ( P = 0.01). A significant difference between 2 groups was observed in surgery time ( P = 0.008). The morbidity of any short-term postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery revealed a similar outcome ( P > 0.05). Discussion CNSI-guided laparoscopic distal gastrectomy is less time-consuming and harvests more LNs. For laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, CNSI-guided lymphography can be an excellent adjuvant.