Journal List > J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc > v.4(3) > 1036952

Yang, Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim, Park, Bae, Baik, Sul, Shin, Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee, Jeon, Cho, Choi, Choi, Han, Han, Hur, Hyung, Hong, and Information Committee of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association: Nationwide Survey of Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery in Korea

Abstract

The Information Committee of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association sent questionnaires to 31 laparoscopic gastric surgeons about their personal experiences with laparoscopic gastric surgery from 2001 to 2003. Twenty-four surgeons responded to the questionnaires (response rate: 77.4%).The number of laparoscopic gastric surgeries from 2001 to 2003 was 1,130 and increased from 209 in 2001 to 593 in 2003. The number of operations for a gastric adenocarcinoma also increased from 87 cases in 2001 to 403 cases in 2003. Laparoscopic radical procedures, such as a laparoscopy- assisted distal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy (LADG or LATG), have increased rapidly during this period. (55 cases in 2001, 150 cases in 2002, and 364 cases in 2003). Laparoscopic function-preserving gastrectomies were not performed until 2003, during which year one pylorus- preserving gastrectomy and six proximal gastrectomies were performed laparoscopically. A wedge resection for a gastric submucosal tumor was performed in 71 cases in 2001, 82 in 2002, and 103 in 2003. Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) was performed in 39 cases in 2001, 55 in 2002, and 49 in 2003. As for personal indications for a LADG, 14 surgeons performed a LADG only for a T1 lesion, and 5 surgeons extended their indications to T2N0 lesions. In the near future, laparoscopic procedures for gastric cancer will be widely adopted in Korea if the medical-insurance obstacle is overcome and the long-term survival results are verified.

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