Dr. Vivek Sukumar

Can surgery for stomach cancer be performed via minimal invasive approach?

Recent randomized trials have shown that laparoscopic gastrectomy is safe not just for early gastric cancer but for more advanced disease.

Advantages

The advantages of laparoscopic gastrectomy are :

Can Robotic surgery be performed for gastric cancer?

Yes, Robotic surgery is one of the minimally invasive techniques which can be used to perform a gastrectomy.

Investigations done after a diagnosis carcinoma of stomach is made?

A Contrast enhanced CT scan of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis is performed to establish the extent of disease and metastases. A staging laparoscopy is performed at the time of surgery to ensure there are no metastases which have been missed during evaluation.

Do Gastric cancers require chemotherapy prior to surgery?

Locally advanced stomach cancers benefit from a course of Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and is recommended prior to surgery.

Are certain patients less suitable for laparoscopic gastrectomy?

Patients with T4 tumors involving the pancreas and colon are probably best treated with open surgery because the potential for complications is dramatically increased.
The laparoscopic procedure also might not provide adequate visualization in patients who are very obese or patients with adhesions from previous abdominal surgeries.