How to examine anastomotic integrity intraoperatively in totally laparoscopic radical gastrectomy? Methylene blue testing prevents technical defect-related anastomotic leaks

Table 3 Clinicopathological characteristics of the patients according to the results of intraoperative methylene blue testing and postoperative anastomotic leaks

Variable	IMBT group	IMBT		P value	Control group	PAL		P value
		Negative	Positive (%)			Negative	Positive (%)
Cases	211	204	7 (3.3)	-	302	289	13(4.3)	-
Gender
Male	130	126	4 (3.1)	1.0	182	173	9 (4.9)	0.575
Female	81	78	3 (3.7)		120	116	4 (3.3)
Age (yr)
< 75	143	139	4 (2.8)	0.541	196	191	5 (2.6)	0.70
≥ 75	68	65	3 (4.4)		106	98	8 (7.5)
BMI (kg/m2)
< 25	155	153	2 (1.3)	0.021	211	206	5 (2.4)	0.025
≥ 25	56	51	5 (8.9)		91	83	8 (8.8)
Preoperative complications
Absent	123	120	3 (2.4)	0.454	191	187	4 (2.0)	0.018
Present	88	84	4 (4.5)		111	102	9 (8.1)
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Absent	168	165	3 (1.8)	0.033	241	234	7 (2.9)	0.028
Present	43	39	4 (9.3)		61	55	6 (9.8)
Degree of tumor differentiation
High	72	70	2 (2.8)	0.784	92	88	4 (4.3)	1.000
Medium	95	92	3 (3.2)		142	136	6 (4.2)
Low	44	42	2 (4.5)		68	65	3 (4.6)
Postoperative tumor pathological stage1
I	32	30	2 (6.3)	0.493	62	59	3 (4.8)	0.754
II	62	60	2 (3.2)		94	89	5 (5.3)
III	117	114	3 (2.6)		146	141	5 (3.4)

¹According to the 8^th AJCC TNM staging system for gastric cancer. IMBT: Intraoperative methylene blue testing; PAL: Postoperative anastomotic leak; BMI: Body mass index.