This study compared the postoperative pain associated with the location of the mini-laparotomy sites in gastric cancer patients who underwent a laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) or total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG). The present study did not observe any benefit for TLDG with a pfannenstiel incision groups in terms of pain, only cosmetic benefits. Therefore, it will be necessary to identify the merits to overcome this problem and broaden the clinical applications in the future.