Minimally invasive surgery for submucosal (subepithelial) tumors of the stomach

Minimally invasive surgery has become common in the surgical resection of gastrointestinal submucosal tumors (SMTs). The purpose of this article is to review recent trends in minimally invasive surgery for gastric SMTs. Although laparoscopic resection has been main stream of minimally invasive surgery for gastrointestinal SMTs, recent advances in endoscopic procedures now provide various treatment modalities for gastric SMTs. Moreover, investigators have developed several hybrid techniques that include the advantages of both laparoscopic and endoscopic procedure. In addition, several types of reduced port surgeries, modification of conventional laparoscopic procedures, have been recently applied to the surgical resection of SMTs. Meanwhile, robotic surgery for SMTs requires further evidence and improvement.