Laparoscopic resection of a retroperitoneal schwannoma adherent to vital vessels

Despite the wide acceptance of laparoscopic resection of abdominal tumors, few cases of laparoscopic removal of retroperitoneal schwannoma have been reported to date. We present a case of retroperitoneal schwannoma, encircled with the celiac artery, common hepatic artery, splenic artery, splenic vein, and portal vein, which was resected successfully using laparoscopic surgical technique. During the procedure, an attempt was made to approach the neoplasm via the inferior border of the pancreas, but it was hard to separate the superior mesenteric vein. We changed the position to separate the tumor from the anterior border of the splenic vein with success. Without any complications, the patient was discharged on the sixth postoperative day. In contrast to the open procedure for resection of a tumor in this location, laparoscopy has the advantage of precise visualization, which helps to resect retroperitoneal schwannoma completely.