Improved long‐term outcomes after innovative preoperative evaluation and conception of precise surgery for gallbladder cancer

BACKGROUND: Three‐dimensional visualization preoperative evaluation (3D‐VPE) and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) have been suggested to improve outcomes of cancer surgery in patients, yet little is known regarding their clinical benefit in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC). We hypothesized that the combination of 3D‐VPE and ERAS would improve the outcome of patients undergoing surgery for GBC. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if 3D‐VPE and ERAS can improve the outcomes and overall survival in patients with GBC, establishing a novel patient management strategy for GBC. METHODS: A total of 227 patients with GBC were recruited and divided into two groups: those who received traditional treatment between January 2000 and December 2010 (n = 86; the control group) and those who underwent 3D‐VPE and ERAS between January 2011 and December 2017 (n = 141). Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the relationship among disease stages, lymph node invasion, and cell differentiation between the two groups. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate patient survival in these groups. RESULTS: Patients who underwent 3D‐VPE and ERAS showed a significantly higher R0 resection rate (67.4% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.001) and dissected lymph node number (26.6 ± 12.6 vs. 16.3 ± 7.6 p < 0.001) compared to the control group. The median survival was 27.4 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 84.4% and 29.8%, respectively, in patients who received combined management; in the control cohort, the median survival was 12.7 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 53.5% and 15.1%, respectively. In addition, some postoperative complications and risk factors were diminished relative to the traditionally treated patients. CONCLUSION: The implementation of 3D‐VPE and ERAS can significantly improve the prognosis and outcomes of patients with GBC and should be considered for wide use in clinical practice.