Laparoscopic ultrasound guided wedge resection of the stomach: a novel procedure for gastric submucosal tumor

It is essential for the surgery of gastric submucosal tumors to resect the tumor with a negative margin and minimize the incision of the normal stomach wall. We developed a novel procedure for patients with gastric submucosal tumors using a laparoscopic ultrasound probe as a guide to determine the resection line. Since 2014, we have performed the laparoscopic ultrasound-guided wedge resection of the stomach in seven patients. The tumor was localized, and the property of the tumor was clearly identified using a laparoscopic ultrasound probe. As a result, the ideal incision line was determined without intraoperative endoscopy. The stomach wall was perforated along the marking on the planned incision line and the whole layer is subsequently incised along with the tumor. The surgical margins were negative, and there were no obvious injuries of the pseudocapsule, microscopically, in any case. It is possible that the laparoscopic ultrasound-guided wedge resection of the stomach contributes to a simplification of the surgery of gastric submucosal tumors resulting in reduced medical cost while maintaining curability and functional preservation.