Endoscopic Resection for Gastric Subepithelial Tumor with Backup Laparoscopic Surgery: Description of a Single-Center Experience

The aim of this study was to analyze patients who underwent endoscopic resection (ER) for gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) with a high probability of surgical intervention. Between January 2013 and January 2021, 83 patients underwent ER at the operation theater and 27 patients (32.5%) required backup surgery mainly due to incidental perforation or uncontrolled bleeding despite endoscopic repairing. The tumor was predominantly located in the upper-third stomach (81%) with a size ≤ 2 cm (69.9%) and deep to the muscularis propria (MP) layer (92.8%) but there were no significant differences between two groups except tumor exophytic growth as a risk factor in the surgery group (37% vs. 0%, p < 0.0001). Patients in the ER-only group had shorter durations of procedure times (60 min vs. 185 min, p < 0.0001) and lengths of stay (5 days vs. 7 days, p < 0.0001) but with a higher percentage of overall morbidity graded III (0% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.1571). After ER, five patients (6%) had delayed perforation and two (2.4%) required emergent laparoscopic surgery. Neither recurrence nor gastric stenosis was reported during long-term surveillance. Here, we provide a minimally invasive strategy of endoscopic resection with backup laparoscopic surgery for gastric SETs.

Simple and Reliable Method for Gastric Subepithelial Tumor Localization Using Endoscopic Tattooing before Totally Laparoscopic Resection

Background: Totally laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer and subepithelial tumors has been popularized worldwide, yet localization of early or small-sized tumors is a persistent challenge due to difficulty being identified with the lack of manual tactile sensation. Thus, accurate localization with tattooing before the surgery would help improve efficiency during surgery. There are multiple methods to localize tumors before laparoscopy, each with varying advantages and disadvantages. The use of endoscopic tattooing with dye has been carried out for several decades due to its safety, lower cost, and convenience. However, there is a lack of studies on endoscopic tattooing before totally laparoscopic resection. Aims: To evaluate the effect of endoscopic tattooing with dye for gastric subepithelial tumors localization before laparoscopic resection and to evaluate the tattooing effect on different locations of tumors in stomach. Method: We retrospectively collected data of patients with gastric subepithelial tumors who underwent endoscopic tattooing before totally laparoscopic resection from 2017 to 2020 in a university affiliated medical center. All patients were analyzed for preoperative characteristics and then categorized into two groups based on tumor locations concerning the difficulty of laparoscopic surgery. The independent t test and Chi-square test were performed to compare perioperative outcome and complications between these two groups. Result: A total of 19 patients were included retrospectively at our center. The individuals were 5 male and 14 female patients with a mean age of 58.2 years old. Most patients had no symptoms, and the tumors were found incidentally in 12 patients (63%). All tumors were identified clearly during laparoscopic resection. The mean tumor size was 2.3 cm. The surgeries took an average of 111 min and a mean of 7 mL blood loss was found. All tumors had negative resection margins with no recurrence during follow-up. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor was the major pathologic diagnosis, found in 12 patients (63%), followed by the leiomyoma in 5 patients (26%). Only three patients had mild adverse effects after surgery and the symptoms were self-limited. Our analysis found no significant difference in preoperative patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes between patients with differing tumor locations. Conclusion: This study is the first and largest report on endoscopic tattooing with dye before laparoscopic resection of gastric subepithelial tumor resection. Our results emphasize that endoscopic tattooing with dye is a safe and reliable method for localizing subepithelial tumors in the stomach prior to totally laparoscopic resection, with no correlation to where the tumor is located.

Feasibility of Non-Exposure Simple Suturing Endoscopic Full-Thickness Resection in Comparison with Laparoscopic Endoscopic Cooperative Surgery for Gastric Subepithelial Tumors: Results of Two Independent Prospective Trials

Recently, nonexposure simple suturing endoscopic full-thickness resection (NESS-EFTR) method was developed to avoid tumor exposure to the peritoneal cavity. The aim of this study is to compare the short-term outcomes of the NESS-EFTR method with those of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs). A prospective single-center trial of LECS for gastric SETs was performed from March 2012 to October 2013 with a separate prospective trial of NESS-EFTR performed from August 2015 to June 2017, enrolling 15 patients each. Among the 30 enrolled patients, 14 who underwent LECS and 11 who underwent NESS-EFTR were finally included in the analysis. The rate of complete resection and successful closure was 100% in both groups. The operating time was longer for NESS-EFTR group than for LECS (110 vs. 189 min; p < 0.0001). There were no postoperative complications except one case of transient fever in the NESS-EFTR group. One patient in the LECS group had peritoneal seeding of gastrointestinal stromal tumor at 17 months postoperatively, and there was no other recurrence. Although NESS-EFTR had long operating and procedure times, it was feasible for patients with gastric SETs requiring a nonexposure technique.