Impact of Spleen-Preserving Total Gastrectomy on Postoperative Infectious Complications and 5-Year Overall Survival: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Contemporary Randomized Clinical Trials

Background: The role of splenectomy in proximal gastric cancer is still debated. The objective of the present meta-analysis was to provide more-robust evidence about the effect of spleen-preserving total gastrectomy on postoperative infectious complications, overall morbidity, and 5-year overall survival (OS). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science were consulted. Pooled effect measures were calculated using an inverse-variance weighted or Mantel–Haenszel in random effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I² index and Cochran Q-test. Results: Three randomized controlled trials published between 2000 and 2018 were included. Overall, 451 patients (50.1%) underwent open total gastrectomy with spleen preservation and 448 (49.9%) underwent open total gastrectomy with splenectomy. The patients ranged in age from 24 to 78 years. No differences were found in the number of harvested lymph nodes (p = 0.317), the reoperation rate (p = 0.871), or hospital length of stay (p = 0.347). The estimated pooled risk ratios for infectious complications, overall morbidity, and mortality were 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09 to 2.14; p = 0.016], 1.51 (95% CI: 1.11 to 2.05; p = 0.008), and 1.23 (95% CI: 0.40 to 3.71; p = 0.719) respectively. The estimated pooled hazard ratio for 5-year OS was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.78 to 1.45; p = 0.707). Conclusions: Spleen-preserving total gastrectomy should be considered in patients with curable gastric cancer because it is significantly associated with decreased postoperative infectious complications and overall morbidity, with no difference in the 5-year OS. Those observations appear worthwhile for establishing better evidence-based treatment for gastric cancer.