Laparoscopic intermediate gastrectomy for treatment of non metastatic gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors located at the posterior wall and lesser curvature

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) are rare neoplasms but they represent the most common type of mesenchymal tumors found in the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract [1-5]. GISTs arise from the interstitial cells of Cajal, “Pacemaker Cells”, that play a neuromotor role in normal gut motility [3,6]. They account for < 1% of gastrointestinal tumors with an estimated annual incidence of 10 to 20 cases for one million of the general population [1,2]. Treatment has not yet been standardized, but surgical resection remains the mainstay for non-metastatic GISTs [5]. The use of laparoscopic techniques has been widely debated. The biological behavior of these tumors lends itself to laparoscopic resection. The feasibility and safety of mininvasive approaches have been established. Systematic reviews and metaanalysis have showed advantages of laparoscopic approaches compared to open procedures in terms of length of hospital stay, decreased postoperative pain, recovery of intestinal activity and resumption of oral intake. This work reports the results of a Laparoscopic Intermediate Gastrectomy (LIG) with gastrogastric anastomosis packaging performed in three cases of nonmetastatic gastric GIST located at the posterior wall and lesser curvature.