Non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach: A case report

Complete surgical resections are crucial for permanently curing patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Laparoscopic wedge resection is a widely accepted surgical treatment, but identifying the tumor margin from a serosal laparoscopic view is challenging when using this technique. Non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery (NEWS) for patients with gastric GISTs is a novel, minimally invasive surgical technique that may aid in complete resection of the tumor margin by endoscopy and laparoscopy methods, removing the whole layer of the gastric wall and the entire tumor, with decreased risk of peritoneal contamination or tumor spread to the peritoneum. To the best of our knowledge, the present study reports the first use of NEWS for a patient with small gastric GIST in Thailand. A 61-year old female presented with jaundice and was diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis A. At 4 months, the severity of the symptoms had decreased but the serum transaminase in the liver function tests remained elevated. The computed tomography scans incidentally demonstrated a gastric mass that protruded into the lumen. Endoscopic examination revealed a 2.5×2.0-cm sub-epithelial tumor located in the posterior wall of the upper gastric body. The patient was informed and consented to undergo NEWS. No intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications were detected. The patient was discharged 5 days following the surgery. In a follow-up visit 4 weeks subsequent to the surgery, the patient was healthy and without complications.