Aims: Surgery is the primary treatment option for patients with gastric cancer, however the rate of postoperative complications are still high. The implementation of surgical safety checklists (SSCs) has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SSCs on the clinical outcomes of gastric cancer.
Methods: A total of 881 gastric cancer patients who underwent D2 gastrectomy from May 2009 to April 2011 in a large teaching hospital in China were included in this retrospective study. Patients were matched and divided into the control group (SSC nonimplementation) and intervention group (SSC implementation). The outcomes including intraoperative condition, postoperative complications, and prognosis were then compared between the groups.
Results: The control group comprised 414 patients (47.0%), and the intervention group included 467 patients (53.0%). Patients in the intervention group had a significantly shorter length of postoperative stay (P < 0.001). Operation time, blood loss, blood transfusion, and hospital charges were comparable between the two groups (all P > 0.05). SSC was not associated with postoperative complications (all P > 0.05). Overall survival was also comparable between patients in the two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The implementation of an SSC was associated with a decreased length of postoperative stay in gastric cancer patients following D2 gastrectomy but did not significantly affect the other outcomes.
Keywords: gastric cancer, surgical safety checklist, prognosis, medical quality