AIM: To evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic effects of para-aortic nodal dissection (PAND) for advanced gastric cancer.METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies comparing D2 + PAND with D2 lymphadenectomy were identified using a predefined search strategy. Five-year overall survival rate, post-operative mortality, and wound degree of surgery between the two operations were compared by using the methods provided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.RESULTS: Four RCTs (1120 patients) and 4 nonrandomized studies (901 patients) were identified. Metaanalysis showed that there was no significant difference between these two groups in 5-year overall survival rate [risk ratio (RR) 1.04 (95% CI: 0.93-1.16) for RCTs and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.83-1.10) for non-randomized studies] and post-operative mortality [RR 0.99 (95% CI: 0.44-2.24) for RCTs and 2.06 (95% CI: 0.69-6.15)for non-randomized studies]. There was a significant difference between these two groups in wound degree of surgery, operation time was significantly longer [weighted mean difference (WMD) 195.32 min (95% CI: 114.59-276.05) for RCTs and 126.07 min (95% CI: 22.09-230.04) for non-randomized studies] and blood loss was significantly greater [WMD 301 mL (95% CI: 151.55-450.45) for RCTs and 302.86 mL (95% CI: 127.89-477.84) for non-randomized studies] in D2 +PAND.CONCLUSION: D2 + PAND can be performed as safely as standard D2 resection without increasing post-operative mortality but fail to benefit overall survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer.