Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to summarize the long-term survival of patients with stage T1b gallbladder cancer (GC) after cholecystectomy and wedge resection of liver tissues and regional lymph node dissection (LND) combination therapy. Methods A total of 98 patients with stage T1b GC were encountered in our hospital between August 2011 and August 2016, and 53 in observation group received cholecystectomy and wedge resection of liver tissues and LND therapy and another 45 patients received cholecystectomy only therapy. All patients were followed-up for five years or to death. The postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS). Results The intraoperative blood loss in the observation group was greater than that in the control group [(208.3±20.2) mL vs. (185.7±19.4) mL], the postoperative recovery time of gastrointestinal functions and hospitalization stay were longer than those in the control group [(27.5±5.8) h and (11.7±2.6) d vs. (19.9±4.2) h and (9.4±2.1) d, respectively, P<0.05]; at 24 h and 72 h post-operationally, the VAS score in the observation group was (4.5±0.8) and (2.1±0.7), not significantly different compared to (4.4±0.9) and (2.0±0.6) in the control (P>0.05); post-operationally, the complications such as cystic fossa effusion, gastric retention, intraperitoneal hemorrhage, bile leakage and peritoneal infections in the observation group was 15.1%, not significantly different as compared to 9.3% in the control (P>0.05); the one-year, three-year and five-year survival rates in the observation group were 96.2%, 81.1% and 67.9%, while in the control group were 91.1%, 73.3% and 55.6%, with the five-year survivals significantly different (Log-Rank x²=4.521, P=0.034). Conclusion The combination of cholecystectomy and wedge resection of liver tissues and regional LND is efficacious in dealing with patients with stage T1b GC, which could improve long-term prognosis.

Key words: Gallbladder cancer, Cholecystectomy, Wedge resection of liver tissues, Regional lymph node dissection, Therapy