Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are rare neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. These lesions are characterized by different levels of malignancy. Only radical surgery offers a chance of curing the disease. The aim of this study is to present the results of gastrointestinal stromal tumor treatment with minimally invasive surgery.

The study group included 27 patients operated laparoscopically on for gastrointestinal stromal tumor with laparoscopic surgery between September 2009 and December 2013. The most common location of the tumor was the stomach (21 patients, 77.8%) and the small intestine (4 patients, 14.8%). We analyzed early surgery results, the number and character of complications, lengths of hospital stays, histological types of the removed tumors, and long-term results of treatment.

There was no need for conversion to open surgery in any patient from the study group. Post-surgery complications occurred in 2 patients (7.4%). The median duration of the hospital stay was 4.5 days; none of the patients had to be readmitted to the hospital in the first 30 days after the procedure. In 26 out of 27 patients, microscopic examination confirmed the radicality of the surgical procedure (R0 resection). The mean size of the removed lesions was 4.1 cm. Using the Joensuu malignancy classification model, it was established that in 6 (22.2%) patients gastrointestinal stromal tumor was characterized by a very low level of malignancy, in 11 patients (40.7%) a low level, in 4 (14.9%) a medium level, and in 6 (22.2%) a high level. The average duration of follow-up was 13 months. During the observation period, there was no recurrence of the disease.

Minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors is possible and allows for satisfactory results both in terms of the postoperative course and the oncological quality of the procedure.

Laparoscopic and endoluminal surgical techniques have evolved and allowed improvements in the methods for treating benign and malignant gastrointestinal diseases. To date, only case reports have been reported on the application of a laparo-endoscopic approach for resecting gastric submucosal tumors (SMT). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and oncologic outcomes of a laparo-endoscopic transgastric approach to resect tumors that would traditionally require either a laparoscopic or open surgical approach. Herein, we present the largest single institution series utilizing this technique for the resection of gastric SMT in North America.

We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively collected patient database. Patients who presented for evaluation of gastric SMT were offered this surgical procedure and informed consents were obtained for participation in the study.

Fourteen patients were included in this study between August/2010 and January/2013. Eight (8) patients (57.1 %) were female and the median age was 56 years (range 29-78). Of the 14 cases, 8 patients (57.1 %) underwent laparo-endoscopic resection of SMTs with transgastric extraction, 5 patients (35.7 %) had conversions to traditional laparoscopic surgery, and 1 patient (7.2 %) was abandoned intraoperatively. The median operative time for this cohort was 80 min (range 35-167). Ten patients (71.4 %) had GISTs, 3 (21.4 %) had leiomyomas, and 1 (7.1 %) had schwannoma. There were no intraoperative complications. Two patients had postoperative staple line bleeding that required repeat endoscopy. The median hospital stay was 1 day (range 1-6) and there were no postoperative mortalities. At 12-month follow-up visit, only one GIST patient (10 %) had tumor recurrence.

Our experience suggests that this surgical approach is safe and efficient in the resection of gastric SMT with transgastric extraction. This study found no intraoperative complications and optimal oncologic outcomes during the follow-up period. Minimally invasive surgical approaches are emerging as a valid and potentially better approach for resecting malignancies; however, continued investigation is underway to further validate this data.

The discovery of activating KIT and PDGFRα mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represented a milestone as it allowed clinicians to use tyrosine kinase inhibitors, like imatinib, to treat this sarcoma. Although surgery remains the only potentially curative treatment, patients who undergo complete resection may still experience local recurrence or distant metastases. Therapeutic strategies that combine surgical resection and adjuvant imatinib may represent the best treatment to maximize patient outcomes. In addition to the use of imatinib in the adjuvant and metastatic settings, neoadjuvant imatinib, employed as a cytoreductive therapy, can decrease tumor volume, increase the probability of complete resection, and may reduce surgery-related morbidities. Thus, selected patients with metastatic disease may be treated with a combination of preoperative imatinib and metastasectomy. However, it is critical that patients with GIST be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team to coordinate surgery and targeted therapy in order to maximize clinical outcomes.

Following a systematic literature review, we describe the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of GIST, with a discussion of the risk assessment for imatinib therapy. The application of surgical options, combined with adjuvant/neoadjuvant or perioperative imatinib, and their potential impact on survival for patients with primary, recurrent, or metastatic GIST are discussed.

Leiomyomas are the most common benign mesenchymal tumours of the upper gastrointestinal tract. They rarely cause symptoms when they are smaller than 5 cm in diameter. Observation with repeated endoscopies is recommended in asymptomatic patients with small lesions. Surgical resection remains the main therapy option for symptomatic and complicated patients. The treatment of esophageal leiomyoma has been enhanced by improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic techniques; however, the same cannot be said for gastric leiomyoma management. The present article describes the management of two cases involving giant gastric leiomyomas that were  successfully treated using endoscopic injection of alcohol. To the authors' knowledge, the present study is the first report of the treatment of such hemorrhagic gastric tumours using this alternative and low-cost technique. Endoscopic local ethanol injection may be the treatment of choice in carefully selected patients with hemorrhagic leiomyomas of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are a distinctive group of mesenchymal neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract that are best treated by surgical excision without tumour disruption and with a clear resection margin to prevent disease recurrence. However, delivering a posterior gastric tumour through an anterior gastrotomy, laparoscopically, can sometimes risk tumour rupture. We have devised a new technique to avoid this complication.

With the patient in supine position, under a general anaesthetic and using a standard three ports, an anterior gastrotomy was performed and posterior tumour identified. An endobag was introduced through a 10-mm port. The retractable metal ring in endobag was closed around the base of the tumour. The tumour was gently lifted, and an endoscopic linear stapler introduced through another 12-mm port was used to resect the tumour with a cuff of normal gastric tissue. Data were analysed on 22 consecutive patients with gastric GIST who were treated laparoscopically. Intra-operative endoscopy was performed in all cases to aid localisation.

There were 16 posterior tumours, of which 11 were operated by the new technique (using endobag and linear stapler) while 5 were dealt with using the old method (resection and suturing of defect). Median operating time for the new versus old technique was 70 versus 120 min (p < 0.002, Mann-Whitney test). There was no tumour disruption or incomplete resection margin using the new technique for posterior tumours. There were six anterior tumours treated by laparoscopic resection and suture closure of the defect. There was no significant difference in median operating time for anterior versus posterior tumours (80 vs. 75 min).

Gastric GIST can be safely and efficiently resected laparoscopically without rupture or disruption with an adequate resection margin with this technique.

Duodenal GI stromal tumors (GISTs), with potential for malignant transformation, arise in muscularis propria. It is difficult to endoscopically resect lesions in the muscularis propria by using standard electrosurgical techniques.

Our purpose was to investigate the efficacy of a new method for resection of these tumors, EUS-assisted band ligation.

Prospective study.

Shenjing Hospital of China Medical University.

Nineteen elderly or high surgical risk patients with small duodenal GISTs.

A standard endoscope with a transparent cap attached to the tip was used. The cap was placed over the lesion, maximum sustained suction was applied, and an elastic band was released around the base. EUS was used to determine whether the hypoechoic mass was confined completely by the band.

Beginning 2 weeks after banding, the lesions were observed endoscopically once per week until healing was complete. Thereafter, all patients underwent EUS every 2 to 3 months on schedule.

The tumors sloughed completely. The mean time required for complete healing after band ligation was 4.7 weeks. Bleeding occurred in 2 patients 7 days after ligation because the lesion sloughed. The bleeding was self-limiting and not life threatening. No perforation or other complications occurred. Follow-up ranged from 18 to 63 months, during which time no recurrence was observed.

New technique with limited data.

EUS-assisted band ligation with systematic follow-up by EUS is an effective and safe treatment for small duodenal GISTs.

Subepithelial gastric tumors are common findings during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Tumor resection is mostly done laparoscopically, but there is still discussion concerning the size of lesion for which the treatment may be minimally invasive; additionally there is very little data available concerning patient outcome after minor access surgery.

Clinicopathologic features and survival data of 93 consecutive patients undergoing a combined laparoscopic-endoscopic approach for gastric submucosal tumors were prospectively analyzed. Analysis included preoperative diagnostic work-up, perioperative data, and postoperative complications. Follow-up was carried out for patients with GIST to check for tumor recurrence.

It was possible to resect 88 of 93 lesions by the laparoscopic-endoscopic approach, with tumor-free margins in all patients. Intraoperative endoscopy facilitated exact tumor localization in 92 patients. Most lesions were removed by endoscopic-laparoscopic wedge resection or, less frequently, by a combined transgastric approach. Mean operative time was 90.7 min; the postoperative hospitalization was 7.3 days. Adverse events appeared in 7.5%, and conversion to open surgery was required in 6.5%. For patients suffering from gastrointestinal stromal tumors, there was no tumor recurrence at a mean follow-up of 40 months.

Combined laparoscopic-endoscopic "rendez-vous" procedures are easy to perform and offer a curative approach for almost all gastric submucosal lesions. The technique is associated with low morbidity and short hospitalization. Though even patients with large GISTs of intermediate and high risk were treated, no tumor recurrence has been observed to date.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a relatively common gastric submucosal tumor with potential for malignant transformation. The efficacy of a new method for resection of these tumors, endoscopic band ligation, was evaluated.

The study included 29 patients with small gastric stromal tumors arising in the gastric muscularis propria as determined by endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), and deep endoscopic biopsies. A standard endoscope with a transparent cap attached to the tip was used. The cap was placed over the lesion, maximum sustained suction was applied, and an elastic band was released around the base. Beginning two weeks after banding, the lesions were observed endoscopically once per week until healing was complete. Thereafter, all patients underwent EUS every two to three months on schedule.

The 28 GISTs sloughed completely. The mean time required for complete healing after band ligation was 4.8 weeks. One lesion did not slough because they were not completely ligated. The lesion was ligated for the second time and sloughed completely. Bleeding occurred in one patient three days after ligation because the lesion sloughed early. The bleeding was managed successfully with metallic clips. No perforation and other complications occurred. Followup ranged from 36 to 51 months, during which time only one recurrence was observed four months postoperatively.

Endoscopic band ligation with systematic followup by EUS is an effective and safe treatment for small GISTs.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract, mesentery, or omentum that expresses the protein-tyrosine kinase KIT (CD117) and is the most common mesenchymal tumor arising at these sites. Surgical resection is the first-line intervention for operable GISTs, particularly localized primary tumors, and it was historically the only effective treatment. However, more than half of all GIST patients present with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic disease. The 5-year survival rate ranges from 50% to 65% after complete resection of a localized primary GIST and decreases to approximately 35% for patients with advanced disease who undergo complete surgical resection. A total of 40% to 90% of all GIST surgical patients subsequently have postoperative recurrence or metastasis. Imatinib is a potent, specific inhibitor of KIT that has demonstrated significant activity and tolerability in the treatment of malignant unresectable or metastatic GIST, inducing tumor shrinkage of 50% or more or stabilizing disease in most patients. A key strategy for prolonging the survival of patients with GIST is to improve the outcome of surgery. It is possible that the adjuvant and neoadjuvant use of imatinib (e.g., rendering initially inoperable tumors resectable) in the overall management approach to advanced GIST may contribute to surgeons' success in attaining this objective.

Leiomyoma is a relatively common submucosal tumor in the upper-GI tract. The efficacy of a new method for resection of these tumors, endoscopic band ligation, was evaluated.

The study included 59 patients with 64 small upper-GI leiomyomas arising in the muscularis propria as determined by endoscopy, EUS, and EUS-guided FNA. The distribution of the 64 leiomyomas was the following: esophageal, 50; gastric, 12; duodenal, 2. A standard endoscope with a transparent cap attached to the tip was used. The cap was placed over the lesion, maximum sustained suction was applied, and an elastic band was released around the base. Beginning 2 weeks after banding, the lesions were observed endoscopically once per week until healing was complete.

The 50 esophageal leiomyomas sloughed completely. The mean time required for complete healing after band ligation was 3.6 weeks. Nine of the 12 gastric leiomyomas sloughed completely; the resulting ulcer defect was healed at a mean of 4.5 weeks. The other 3 lesions did not slough because they were not completely ligated. The two duodenal lesions sloughed completely after banding, and the mean time until healing of the defect was 4.5 weeks. No perforation occurred. Follow-up ranged from 16 to 31 months, during which time no recurrence was observed.

Endoscopic band ligation is an effective and safe treatment for small upper-GI leiomyoma.

Severe gastrointestinal bleeding has historically been a clinical problem primarily under the purview of the general surgeon. Diagnostic advances made as the result of newer technologies, such as fiberoptic and video endoscopy, selective visceral arteriography, and nuclear scintigraphy, have permitted more accurate and targeted operations. More importantly, they have led to safe, effective nonoperative therapeutic interventions that have obviated the need for surgery in many patients. Today, most gastrointestinal bleeding episodes are initially managed by endoscopic or angiographic control measures. Such interventions are often definitive in obtaining hemostasis. Even temporary cessation or attenuation of massive bleeding in an unstable patient permits a safer, more controlled operative procedure by allowing an adequate period of preoperative resuscitation. Despite the less frequent need for surgical intervention, traditional operative approaches, such as suture ligation, lesion or organ excision, vagotomy, portasystemic anastomosis, and devascularization procedures, continue to be life-saving in many instances. The proliferation of laparoscopic surgery has fostered the application of minimally invasive techniques to highly selected patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Intraoperative endoscopy has greatly facilitated the accuracy of laparoscopic surgery by endoscopic localization of bleeding lesions requiring excision. It is anticipated that the evolving technologies pertinent to the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal bleeding will continue to promote collaboration and cooperation between gastroenterologists, radiologists, and surgeons.