Laparoscopic surgical procedures and results in gastric carcinoma

Laparoscopic surgery of the gastrointestinal tract is generally associated with less postoperative pain, early return of bowel movement, shorter hospitalization, and better cosmetic result. Surgeons have adopted laparoscopic cholecystectomy as the standard procedure in patients with cholecystolithiasis. In spite of laparoscopic cholecystectomy only few other operations of the gastrointestinal tract are performed routinely using laparoscopic techniques. In the USA the percentage of surgeons performing laparoscopic colorectal surgery, especially for malignancies, has even decreased over the recent years. This article reviews the indications and results of laparoscopic techniques in the treatment of gastric carcinoma.