Combined laparoscopic-endoscopic procedures for gastric cancer

The purpose of this review is to outline the laparoscopic-endoscopic proced ures that we perform for early gastric cancer. These procedures were applie d to 29 patients. Preoperative work-up included gastric endoscopy, barium X -ray examination, endoscopic ultrasonography, and histological examination, and surgery was performed in patients diagnosed as having mucosal gastric cancer for which endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) was difficult. Laparosc opic wedge resection of the stomach using the lesion-lifting method, by whi ch a wedge resection is made while pulling up the full-thickness gastric wa ll, was carried out in the 16 patients with lesions of the anterior wall, l esser curvature, and greater curvature of the stomach. On pathological exam ination of resected specimens, the surgical margin and lymphatic or venous invasion were negative in all these patients. The histological depth of the lesions was m (mucosal cancer) in 15 patients and sm1 (slight cancer infil tration into the submucosal layer) in one. This one patient later underwent gastrectomy but no lymph node metastases were found. Oral nutrition was re sumed for a mean (rt SD) Of 2.9 +/- 0.8 days after operation, and the durat ion of hospitalization after operation was 12.3 +/- 3.4 days. The 13 patien ts with lesions of the posterior wall of the stomach and near the cardia or the pylorus received laparoscopic intragastric mucosal resection. Laparoto my was required in 1 of these patients due to intraoperative hemorrhage. Th e surgical margins were negative in all 12 patients in whom laparoscopic in tragastric mucosal resect ion was successful. Lymphatic or venous invasion was positive in 2, both of whom had sm1 cancer lesions of both of these pat ients were located in the cardiac region, total gastrectomy was avoided, an d careful observation is continued. Oral nutrition was resumed 4.0 +/- 1.6 days after operation, and the duration of hospitalization after operation w as 12.0 +/- 3.5 days. In addition, no postoperative complication was noted after either procedure, and all patients have been recurrence free for a fo llow-up period of 460 months. Selected properly, these laparoscopic endosco pic procedures are considered to be curative and minimally invasive treatme nts for early gastric cancer.