Laparoscopic wedge resection of a gastric leiomyoma

Gastric stromal tumors represent a small percentage of gastric neoplasms. Establishing a diagnosis when these lesions are encountered usually is not possible with limited biopsies. Benign and malignant gastric stromal tumors require only local excision for definitive treatment. However, most lesions are not amenable to endoscopic excision. As a result, laparoscopic local excision offers the ideal method to establish a diagnosis and to treat patients with gastric smooth muscle tumors. We present a minimally invasive local excision of a gastric stromal tumor. We also review the previously published management of gastric stromal tumors and show how it is being influenced by laparoscopy.