Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of Stomach: Feasibility of Laparoscopic Resection in Large Lesions and Its Long Term Outcomes- A Case Series

Open surgical resection was the standard of treatment until two decades ago, but with advent laparoscopy and experienced gained over the years, the safety & feasibility of laparoscopic resections of gastric GISTs has been proven but for tumors less than 2 cm. However, with gain of experience and skill in laparoscopic surgery, many surgeons have reported a safety & feasibility excision of tumors greater than 5 cm. Our current study demonstrates the oncologic safety of the laparoscopic approach even with tumour size range up to 12cm, with efficacy and recurrence rates similar or superior to historical open surgical controls, however, it requires considerable expertise for safe manipulation of the tumour. All these resections were accomplished with minimal morbidity, no perioperative mortality, and short post-operative stay and comparable long term oncological outcomes.