First single-port robotic surgery for gastric tumorectomy performed in Korea

Prof. Seo Ho-seok [Provided by Seoul St. Mary‘s Hospital]

Two gastric tumor patients have been successfully treated with single-port laparoscopic and robotic surgery in Korea, marking the first case of gastric tumorectomy based on the minimally invasive approach.

The two middle-aged female patients who underwent surgery by Prof. Seo Ho-seok, of Div. of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Seoul St. Mary‘s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea, had a gastric subepithelial tumor (SET) found during gastroscopic screening. Gastric SETs are characterized by various types of conditions that arise in the lower layer of the gastric mucosa and are found in 1 or 2 out of 100 people who undergo gastroscopy.

Among gastric SETs, gastrointestinal interstitial tumors (GISTs) must be resected because they have malignant potentials.

The professor performed gastric wedge resection and tumor enucleation according to the tumor location and shape of the two patients. With the 4th-generatin da Vinci Single-Port (SP) platform, the professor was able to access narrow and deep surgical areas through magnified 3D, high-definition wide field of view, and free movement of instruments to perform highly precise surgery.

Both the surgical instrument and camera mounted on the robot arm have two joints, and the platform provides a multi-angle high-definition field of view, allowing the surgeon to remove tumors even in difficult-to-access locations. This system enables stable and sophisticated surgery in a narrow and limited space, resulting in less pain and faster recovery after surgery.

Professor Seo said the single-port robotic surgery minimizes surgical scars and gastrectomy, while preserving gastric function as much as possible and lowering the possibility of complications, thereby improving the patient’s quality of life in the long run.

By Lee Byung-moon and Minu Kim