Laparoscopic wedge resection of gastric submucosal tumors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of laparoscopic surgery for gastric submucosal tumor.


METHODS
The records of 11 patients who underwent laparoscopic wedge resection (LR group) for gastric submucosal tumors were reviewed and compared with those of 8 patients who underwent open surgery (OS group).


RESULTS
Mean operation time was 145 +/- 43 min in the LR group and 127 +/- 33 min in the OS group (p = 0.301). Mean blood loss was 97 +/- 107 and 107 +/- 47 g, respectively (p = 0.387). Patients in the LR group began walking 1.4 +/- 0.7 days after surgery, which was significantly earlier than those in the OS group (2.7 +/- 1.3 days, p = 0.021). The first flatus (1.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.6 days, respectively, p = 0.0004) and resumption of oral food intake (3.0 +/- 1.7 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.9 days, respectively, p = 0.020) were also earlier in the LR group. White blood cell count on the first postoperative day was lower (7,000 +/- 2,100 vs. 11,900 +/- 3,580/mm(3), respectively, p = 0.004) in the LR group than in the OS group, and the duration of fever (>38.0 degrees C; 0.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.8 days, respectively, p = 0.014) and the period of postoperative hospitalization (13.2 +/- 3.7 vs. 20.8 +/- 6.1 days, respectively, p = 0.014) were significantly shorter in the LR group than in the OS group. No complications occurred in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic surgery was superior to open surgery in terms of postoperative recovery time with comparable operation time and blood loss. Laparoscopic wedge resection is a promising surgical alternative for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors.
Shimizu
S
S
Department of Endoscopic Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan. shimizu@surg1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Noshiro
H
H
Nagai
E
E
Uchiyama
A
A
Mizumoto
K
K
Tanaka
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome