Body mass index does not affect systematic D2 lymph node dissection and postoperative morbidity in gastric cancer patients.

Background: The extent of standard lymph node dissection (D1, D2, or D3) in gastric cancer patients is still controversial. Several prospective European trials attained contradictory results. A generally increased body mass index (BMI) of the European patients was assumed to be one of the major causes for postoperative morbidity.

Methods: We evaluated the effect of BMI on the quality of routine D2 lymph node dissection and on postoperative morbidity in patients with gastric cancer who underwent a potentially curative total gastrectomy. A total of 199 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent a total gastrectomy and a routine D2 lymph node dissection between 1992 and 2001 were included in the study. According to BMI, they were assigned to three groups: group A, with BMI <25 kg/m(2) (normal body weight); group B, with BMI of 25 to 30 kg/m(2) (overweight); and group C, with BMI >30 kg/m(2) (obesity). Parameters such as complete histopathological staging, intraoperative blood loss, length of operation, and surgical and nonsurgical morbidity were recorded and correlated within the different groups.

Results: No significant differences were found with regard to the number of examined lymph nodes, blood loss, length of operation, surgical complications, or length of stay in the intensive care unit.

Conclusions: In contrast to comparable Japanese studies, our analysis reveals that even for overweight patients, a standard D2 lymph node dissection is justified without significantly increased morbidity.