Resection of giant gastric GIST with a new generation ultrasonic scalpel device

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stroma tumours (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumour in the digestive tract and commonly found in the stomach. The patient described in this report presented with collapse and a palpable abdominal mass. He was found to have a large gastric GIST that penetrated through the mesocolon. Resection of the GIST was technically challenging but facilitated by a new generation ultrasonic scalpel device. In resection of gastric cancer the use of ultrasonic scalpels has been shown to reduce operating time, blood loss and length of stay. We feel that in technically challenging cases of gastric GIST the use of an ultrasonic scalpel device may be justified as well.