Endoscopic treatment of stromal tumors
Stromatous tumors are a special category of neoplasms of the gastrointestinal system. They mainly occur in the upper digestive system, with the stomach being the most common location. Surgical removal is the main treatment because it contributes to the total removal of the tumor.
In recent years, developments in endoscopy, and specifically in interventional endoscopy, have significantly expanded the therapeutic scope of gastroenterology.
With the latest minimally invasive techniques and the use of high-resolution endoscopes (High Definition, HD), the modern interventional gastroenterologist is able to endoscopically remove early malignancies and precancerous lesions, without the need for surgical removal of an organ or part of it. This has a significant positive impact on the quality of life of patients, who may avoid long and heavy surgeries.
Endoscopic removal of recurrent stromal tumor
The endoscopic treatment of stromal tumors of the digestive tract offers an effective and less invasive alternative to traditional surgical methods. Such a pioneering operation in Greece was presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference held in Washington, United States of America and published in the prestigious scientific medical journal “Endoscopy”.
The pioneering operation was performed by the team of Dr. Thomaidis and concerns the endoscopic removal of a stromal tumor, which recurred in the area of a previous surgery, a fact that demonstrates the progress that therapeutic endoscopy has achieved in the treatment of many benign and malignant diseases of the digestive system.
This operation was selected for presentation and award by the American Society of Endoscopy (ASGE), constituting an international recognition of the development of interventional gastroenterology in our country and highlighting the importance of continuous education and the use of advanced technology in medicine.
A few words about the operation
This specific operation concerns a patient who had undergone surgery to remove a stromal tumor in the stomach vault in the past. Despite adjuvant chemotherapy, the tumor recurred at the suture line of the previous operation, necessitating a new surgical treatment.
The main factor that made the operation so complicated was the difficult approach to the tumor and the need for endoscopic removal of many surgical clips that had been placed during the initial operation.
With the help of endoscopic ultrasound, the exact location of the tumor, which was not visible with simple conventional endoscopy, was determined. By creating a submucosal tunnel, the lesion was approached and with the successful removal of the surgical clips, its endoscopic removal was completed.
The use of special tools in combination with advanced technology allowed us to remove the stromal tumor in one piece (en block). This procedure was extremely detailed and required absolute precision due to the extensive fibrosis of the area. Finally, after removing the lesion, we successfully closed the opening of the submucosal tunnel in order to eliminate the risk of complications.
After the operation, the patient recovered quickly and without complications, and was discharged after a three-day stay in the hospital.
