A Nomogram for Predicting Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Cooperative Surgery during the Endoscopic Resection of Subepithelial Tumors of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Background: Considering the widespread use of esophagogastroduodenoscopy, the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal (GI) subepithelial tumors (SET) increases. For relatively safer removal of upper GI SETs, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been developed as an alternative to surgery. This study aimed to analyze the outcome of endoscopic resection for SETs and develop a prediction model for the need for laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) during the procedure. Method: We retrospectively analyzed 123 patients who underwent endoscopic resection for upper GI SETs between January 2012 and December 2020 at our institution. Intraoperatively, they underwent ESD or submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER). Results: ESD and STER were performed in 107 and 16 patients, respectively. The median age was 55 years, and the average tumor size was 1.5 cm. En bloc resection was achieved in 114 patients (92.7%). The median follow-up duration was 242 days without recurrence. Perforation occurred in 47 patients (38.2%), and 30 patients (24.4%) underwent LECS. Most perforations occurred in the fundus. Through multivariable analysis, we built a nomogram that can predict LECS requirement according to tumor location, size, patient age, and sex. The prediction model exhibited good discrimination ability, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.893. Conclusions: Endoscopic resection is a noninvasive procedure for small upper-GI SETs. Most perforations can be successfully managed endoscopically. The prediction model for LECS requirement is useful in treatment planning.

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.

Vissza a jövőbe: gastro-oesophagealis junctio subepitheliális tumorának laparoszkópos transgastricus resectiója

Összefoglaló. Esetismertetés: A gyomor subepitheliális tumorainak laparoszkópos ékresectiója egy széleskörűen elfogadott és alkalmazott eljárás. A gastro-oesophagealis junctio (GOJ) közeli elváltozások esetén ez a technika azonban a gyomorbemenet szűkületének magas kockázata miatt erősen korlátozott. Ilyen lokalizáció esetén megfelelő technika lehet a laparoszkópos transgastricus resectio. Esetünkben egy 44 éves férfi dysphagiájának hátterében azonosított subepitheliális tumor resectióját végeztük el ilyen módon. A műtét során a pneumoperitoneum készítését követően a gyomrot orogastricus szonda segítségével insuffláltuk, majd 3 darab ballonnal rendelkező portot vezettünk a gyomorba. A 6 × 3 × 3 cm-es elváltozás intragastricus kimetszését követően a nyálkahártyát tovafutó öltéssorral zártuk. A speciment zsákba helyeztük, majd a gyomorból és a hasüregből eltávolítottuk. A portok gastrotomiás nyílásait zártuk. 24 órán át nasogastricus szondát hagytunk hátra, hasűri draint nem hagytunk vissza. A pneumoperitoneum idő 115 perc volt, vérveszteséget vagy intraoperatív szövődményt nem észleltünk. Eseménytelen posztoperatív szak után a beteget a műtétet követő harmadik napon otthonába bocsátottuk. A szövettani vizsgálat leiomyomát igazolt. Megbeszélés: Bár a páciens utánkövetése még folyamatban van, az irodalmi adatok alapán GOJ közeli elváltozások esetén a transgastricus technika biztonságos, hatékony, valamint jó funkcionális eredményt biztosító eljárás, a kiújulás magasabb kockázata nélkül. Summary. Case report: Laparoscopic wedge resection of the subepithelial tumors of the stomach is a widely accepted and utilized approach. The use of this technique for lesions located near the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is rather limited by the high risk of consequential stenosis of the gastric inlet. The laparoscopic transgastric resection can be a feasible choice for this location. A 44-year-old male patient had been investigated for dysphagia, which confirmed a subepithelial gastric lesion. We performed the resection of the tumor using this technique. After the creation of pneumoperitoneum, the stomach was insufflated using an orogastric tube, then 3 balloon-type ports were inserted intragastrically. The 6×3×3 cm large tumor was resected and the mucosa was closed by running sutures. The specimen was placed into a plastic bag, then retrieved from the stomach and the abdominal cavity. The gastrotomy sites of the ports on the stomach were closed. A nasogastric tube was left in situ for 24-hours without any intraabdominal drains. The pneumoperitoneum time was 115 minutes long, blood loss or intraoperative complication was not noticed. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital three days after surgery. The histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyoma. Summary: Even though the follow-up of the patient is ongoing, according to the scientific literature, transgastric resection of subepithelial tumors located near the GEJ is a safe and effective technique, which provides good functional results, without having a higher risk for recurrence.