A comparison of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic full-thickness resection and laparoscopic-assisted surgery for small gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Laparoscopic-assisted surgery (LAC) is an alternative to open surgery for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), a recently developed procedure, is increasingly used to resect GISTs originated from the muscularis propria. In this retrospective study, we aimed to compare EFTR with LAC as minimally invasive treatments for GISTs, especially those with a diameter < 2 cm, originating from the muscularis propria. Moreover, we evaluated the clinical efficacy, safety, and feasibility of EFTR for GISTs. The study included 68 patients with GISTs originating from the muscularis propria (35 patients who underwent EFTR, and 33 who underwent LAC) who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University (Zhanjiang, China) between January 2011 and December 2013. The therapeutic outcomes of EFTR and LAC were reviewed retrospectively. In the EFTR group, the mean tumor size was 13 +/- 5 mm, the mean procedure time was 91 +/- 63 min, and the complete resection rate was 100 %. There were 35 "artificial" perforations and four cases of intraoperative bleeding; all complications were successfully managed endoscopically without emergency surgery. In the LAC group, the mean tumor size was 16 +/- 4 mm, the mean operation time was 155 +/- 37 min, and complications included three wound infections and one anastomotic leakage. EFTR was associated with a lower complication rate than LAC, with favorable en bloc and sufficient tumor tissue for histological diagnosis. EFTR seems to be an efficacious, relatively safe, and minimally invasive treatment for GISTs and could replace LAC surgical resection in cases where the tumor is smaller than 2 cm in diameter.