Abstract:Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) in digestive tract reconstruction.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 96 patients with distal gastric cancer who were admitted to the Textile Hospital District of Handan First Hospital between January 2022 and January 2025. According to the actual surgical procedure received, 48 patients underwent totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and were assigned to the totally laparoscopic group, while the remaining 48 patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy and were assigned to the laparoscopy-assisted group. Intraoperative parameters (operative time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, total number of dissected lymph nodes), stress response markers [prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) ], quality of life (assessed by the Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74, GQOLI-74), postoperative recovery (time to initiation of oral intake, time to first flatus, drainage tube removal time, hospital stay), and complication rates were compared between the two groups.Results Compared to the laparoscopy-assisted group, the totally laparoscopic group exhibited shorter operative time (P < 0.05), less intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.05), and smaller incision length (P < 0.05). The comparison of the total number of dissected lymph nodes between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The differences in PGE2, CRH, and ACTH levels before and after surgery were greater in the laparoscopy - assisted group than in the totally laparoscopic group (P < 0.05). The difference in GQOLI-74 scores before and after surgery was greater in the totally laparoscopic group (P < 0.05). The totally laparoscopic group also showed earlier initiation of oral intake (P < 0.05), shorter time to first flatus (P < 0.05), earlier drainage tube removal, and reduced hospital stay (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the incidence of incision infection, incision bleeding, anastomotic leakage, or anastomotic stenosis between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion TLDG is superior to LADG in promoting postoperative recovery, attenuating surgical stress response, and maintaining comparable safety, making it an effective and reliable approach for digestive tract reconstruction.