Endoscopically Assisted Laparoscopic Gastric Resection for Benign and Malignant Lesions: A Report of Two Cases

BACKGROUND The first gastric resection for stomach cancer was performed in 1879, and the first gastric resection for gastric ulcer disease was performed in 1882. During the 1990s, the first laparoscopic gastrostomies were reported. During the past decade, laparoscopic techniques have developed rapidly, gaining wide clinical acceptance. Minimally invasive surgery is now shifting the balance away from traditional open methods. We report 2 cases of endoscopically assisted laparoscopic local gastric resections for both gastric cancer and gastric ulcer disease. CASE REPORT The first case involves a 67-year-old male patient who suffered from recurrent bleeding from a gastric ulcer located 4-5 cm from the gastroesophageal junction. The patient was subjected to endoscopically assisted laparoscopic wedge resection of the affected part of the stomach, had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the third postoperative day. The second case involves a 60-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with intramucosal gastric adenocarcinoma and was also subjected to endoscopically assisted laparoscopic wedge gastrectomy. This patient also had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the second postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopically assisted laparoscopic local gastric resection is a minimally invasive procedure which allows the surgeon to operate under direct visualization of the internal part of the stomach. Thus, it enables the surgeon to safely remove the affected part within healthy margins, providing the patient with all the advantages of laparoscopic surgery.