Predictors and Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumors: Minimally Invasive Surgery for SBNETs

Background: Open surgical resection with regional lymphadenectomy is the standard of care for small bowel neuroendocrine tumors (SBNETs). There is no consensus on the role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). This study aims to evaluate the current national trends for MIS in treating SBNETs and its association with lymph node (LN) yield. Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with Stage I-III SBNETs who underwent surgery from 2010–2017. Time trends were examined using the Cochran–Armitage test. Chi-square tests, t test, and multivariable logistic regression assessed associations of surgical approach with patient, clinical, and facility characteristics. Kaplan–Meier curves and propensity score weighted Cox proportional hazards model were used to examine survival. Results: Of the 11,367 patients with Stage I-III SBNETs, 46.5% (N = 5,298) underwent MIS. From 2010–2017, the proportion of MIS increased from 35.6% to 57.7% (P < 0.001). Patients of Stage I disease (OR = 1.23), Caucasian race (OR = 1.18), private insurance (OR = 1.29), and higher volume centers (OR = 1.29) were more likely to undergo MIS (all P < 0.02). The average number of LN harvested in the MIS cohort was greater than in the open surgery cohort (13.3 vs 11.8 LN, P < 0.001). MIS patients had shorter length of stay by 2 days compared to open surgery (5.4 vs 7.6 days, P < 0.001). LN yield ≥ 8 was associated with better survival (HR = 0.77, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The utilization of a MIS approach to treat Stage I-III SBNETs has increased, especially at higher volume centers. We did not observe an inferior LN harvest with the MIS cohort compared to the open surgery cohort.