In patients with gastric cancer, gastrectomy can be performed via laparoscopic/robotic or open surgery. It is crucial to completely remove the tumor along with an adequate extent of lymph node dissection. The number of lymph nodes retrieved during gastrectomy is considered an important factor associated with the quality of the surgery and can serve as an indicator of the completeness of the procedure. In particular, during the dissection of lymph node stations 8, 9, 11p and 12a - which are located near the superior aspect of the pancreas - pressure is often applied to the pancreas to secure an adequate surgical view. Recent studies have suggested that this may be associated with postoperative pancreatic complications. It is believed that the use of articulating instruments during laparoscopic gastrectomy may enable a safer dissection of lymph nodes located above the pancreas. However, to date, there have been lack of studies comparing the safety and efficacy of articulating versus straight instruments in laparoscopic gastrectomy. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the compare these two approaches.
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The reduction in operative time achieved by using an articulating instrument for dissection of suprapancreatic lymph nodes during laparoscopic gastrectomy
Timeframe: During surgery, the total operation time, and the supra-pancreatic lymph node dissection time will be calculated respectively. The supra-pancreatic lymph node dissection time will be measured from the point of right gastric artery ligation to just before