title: Laparoscopic-endoscopic rendezvous resection of upper gastrointestinal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endoscopic and laparoscopic local resection of gastric tumors has increasingly been performed in recent years. This article describes the technical considerations and early results of laparoscopic-endoscopic rendezvous resection of gastric lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rendezvous resection was performed in 26 patients with submucosal gastric tumors (n = 22) and early gastric cancer (n = 4). Laparoscopic wedge resection (LWR) was performed in 16 patients with anterior wall tumors and laparoscopic intragastric resection (LIR) in 7 patients with posterior wall tumors. Conversion to open surgery was carried out in 3 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Operation times were 53 min (range 35-115) for LWR and 83 min (range 56-130) for LIR, respectively. In submucosal lesions the mean tumor size was 36 mm (range 16-47) and in early gastric cancer 17.3 mm (range 16-20). Rendezvous resection was performed with curative intent and clear resection margins in all patients without lymphatic or vessel permeation. Postoperative complications occurred in 2 patients. After a mean follow-up of 22.8 months (range 2-71), no local recurrence or metastatic disease and no tumor-related death were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When selected properly, the laparoscopic-endoscopic approach is considered to be curative and safe for resection of localized gastric tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany. schuhertdr@hotmail.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nestler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malfertheiner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lippert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pross
mesh_terms: D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome