Laparoendoscopic management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) account for 1% to 3% of all resected gastric tumors and are the most common submucosal mass found in the stomach. The preoperative characterization of malignancy is often difficult, and excision is the most common management option. Reported techniques are endoscopic, laparoendoscopic, and laparoscopic. The excision can be intracorporeal or extracorporeal, intragastric or transgastric. Different methods are used based on the location of the tumor. We present two cases of a three-port laparoendoscopic transgastric technique. This method can be used safely for both anteriorly and posteriorly located lesions.