Laparoscopic intragastric stapled resection of gastric submucosal tumors located near the esophagogastric junction - Techniques and results of a clinical study

Background: Laparoscopic resection cannot be applied easily to tumors located near the esophagogastric junction or the pyloric ring. We evaluated our laparoscopic intragastric surgical technique for gastric submucosal tumors located near the esophagogastric junction and the results of a clinical study. Materials and methods: We performed our technique in six patients: one man and five woman with a mean age of 61 years. Using the laparoscopic procedure. after inflation of the stomach, we inserted two or three balloon-type ports into the stomach through the abdominal wall. Results: A stapled resection of gastric submucosal tumors using a laparoscopic linear stapler was performed successfully in all the patients. Without exception, stapled resections were successfully performed. The mean operation time was 168 min, and the blood loss was minimal There were no intra- or postoperative complications. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 9.8 days. The mean maximal diameter size of the resected specimens was 2.4 cm. Histopathologic diagnoses were gastrointestinal stromal tumors in five cases and enterogenous cyst in one. There were no recurrences during a mean follow-up period of 27 +/- 11.6 months. Conclusion: Although we need to evaluate the long-term outcomes, our procedure is considered technically feasible, safe, and useful for the resection of gastric submucosal tumors located near the esophagogastric junction.