Minimally Invasive Robotic and Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: A new ray of hope for gastric cancer

The stomach is a muscular J-shaped sac-like structure, mainly acts as reservoir for the food, located in the upper and left part of abdomen and a crucial part of the Digestive organ of gastrointestinal system. It produces enzymes (Substances that create chemical reactions) and acids (digestive juices). This mix of enzymes and digestive juices breaks down food so it can pass to our small intestine(duodenum)

Gastric cancer, also referred to as stomach cancer, can happen anywhere, in any part of the stomach (Fundus, Body, also called proximal stomach and Antrum and Pylorus also called Distal part of stomach)– where abnormal growth of malignant cells, invading the stomach and adjacent and distal organs like Liver, Lung, peritoneum and Bone etc

Symptoms of Gastric Cancer

The prominent symptoms of gastric cancer include:

· Difficulty swallowing

· Feeling full or bloated even after eating small amounts of food

· Heartburn or acidity

· Indigestion coupled with nausea and vomiting

· Severe pain in the stomach

· Unintentional weight loss

Causes of Gastric Cancer

There is no definite reason for what could cause stomach cancer. However, the risk factors that can trigger this ailment include

· Chronic Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

· Overweight

· Consumption of low fibre diet

· Poor eating habits like intake of food high on salts, deep fries

· Family history

· Infection with Helicobacter pylori

· Chronic gastritis

· Smoking

· Stomach polyps

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of gastric cancer is made by running various tests, including blood tests, and imaging tests like endoscopic ultrasound, CT, PET-CT, biopsy, or Diagnostic Laparoscopy

Treatment

Surgery forms the first line of defence while combating gastric cancer (in early stages). In the last decade, the surgical techniques for treating stomach cancer have grown by leaps and bounds, providing significant relief for the patients Treating gastric cancer requires the exceptional expertise of Surgical oncologists (gastro intestinal surgeons) Over the last decade or more, the surgical treatment for gastric cancers witnessed unparalleled medical advancements, with the advent of minimally invasive procedures like Robotic, Laparoscopic Procedures that ensure a faster recovery.

What is Gastrectomy

Gastrectomy is defined as a full or partial removal of stomach for treating various medical conditions mainly for cancer

Gastrectomy is of four types – Total Gastrectomy, Subtotal Gastrectomy, Distal gastrectomy extended total gastrectomy (removal of distal food pipe) and Proximal gastrectomy

Advantages of Minimally Invasive Robotic, Laparoscopic Gastrectomy Procedures

Open surgery, laparoscopy, or Robotic Surgery; the principles involve the same – removing cancer and surrounding structures (in case of metastasis) without compromising on the cure. Minimally invasive surgical procedures provide a better outcome than open surgery in patients undergoing gastrectomy to treat gastric cancer. Extensively trained Gastrointestinal surgeons adopting either robotic or laparoscopic surgeries to ensure faster, safe and feasible alternatives to conservative open surgery.

Some of the advantages of minimally invasive procedures are:

· Decreased postoperative pain

· Shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery

· Minimal scarring

· Less strain on the immune system

· Smaller incisions

· Less chance of infection and hernia formation

How Is Laparoscopic Gastrectomy Performed?

Laparoscopic Gastrectomy is a widely recommended and adopted minimally invasive surgical procedure for eliminating cancer cells, even in the locally advanced stages of gastric cancer.

During the procedure, several small incisions (key holes) are made by the surgeons. Surgical instruments are sent inside for accessing the diseased part for its dissection and removal. The surgery aimed at eliminating the cancer cells, may take a little longer in comparison to open gastrectomy but the patient would recover faster due to less blood loss and pain. It has 2D vision and Ergonomics of instruments are difficult due to straight instruments

The patient would be able to resume regular duties and eat normally within a week or too

How Is Robotic Gastrectomy Performed?

Robotic-assisted gastrectomy is done by making a small incision (key hole) measuring up to 8 to 12mm, at the belly button and three other small incisions for assistant instruments at the upper abdomen. The surgeon sits at the console during the procedure, directing the robotic arms to perform the operation. These robotic arms work like human hands with absolute, accurate dexterity, finger movement, and wrist (done by surgeon hand actions transmitted through instruments with digital interactions). Even while performing the surgery, the surgeon could view a magnified, high-definition 3D view of the organs, enabling the surgeon to execute procedures like dissection, bowel connections, and stapling.

The advantages of Robotic Gastrectomy are aplenty. It is often recommended for removing Gastrointestinal stromal tumours, gastric adenocarcinoma, or even rare form of carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumours.

This procedure has lesser pain when compared to conventional open gastrectomy. Other benefits include:

· Lesser blood loss and less transfusions

· Reduced risk of infections

· Early starting of feed

· Faster return to normalcy

Since its inception, robotic surgeries have been carried out extensively in thousands of procedures across the globe. These techniques have gained widespread popularity for its positive impact on a patient’s recovery, fewer complications, and shorter stays at hospitals. If we focus on cancers in particular, these surgeries are widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. To learn more about the benefits of robotic surgeries for gastric cancer care, you can consult an oncologist for further guidance.

 

 

 This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Ovarian cancer- don't ignore these signs

Many people tend to think of cancer as a death sentence. Ovarian cancer is a silent killer with no visible symptoms in the early stages, but that doesn’t mean it’s not curable. The important thing is to catch it early before it spreads. When the symptoms do begin to show, they can be vague and easily confused with a number of other conditions. Oncology is a well-developed medical field and many cancers are curable with the right treatment at the right time. The healthy thing to do is to keep a balance between denial and hypochondria.

The good news is that there are a number of early warnings signs. Ovarian cancer symptoms only match actual early stage ovarian cancer 1% of the time. While there is no absolutely reliable detection method for early stage ovarian cancer, doctors make use of pelvic examinations, ultrasound scans and blood tests for genetic cancer markers to diagnose the illness. While scientists are busy working at fixing this gap in the medical field, it’s important for you to know and listen to your body. This guide will help you discover the risk factors and early warning signs. 

 

Risk Factors 

While the cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, certain factors can increase your chances of it developing: 

 

Age: Ovarian cancer tends to strike women over the age of 60 most, with over 50% of all occurrences affecting this age group. Women over the age of 50 are also at a higher risk, although age does not safeguard younger aged women from developing this cancer too, and cases are sometimes found in women in their 20s.

Family history: Genetics can increase the likelihood of a person developing ovarian cancer. A family history of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or colon cancer strengthens your susceptibility to the illness. The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, known as the breast cancer genes, were initially only linked to detecting breast cancer chances, but further research revealed that these genes also indicate ovarian cancer. 

 

Period history: The number of periods an individual has during her lifetime has been shown to correlate with increased chances of the development of ovarian cancer. Women who began menstruating young, have never given birth, or reached menopause at a later age (after the age of 50) have been found to have a higher risk of getting ovarian cancer than those who experienced less periods of menstruation. 

 

Certain medications: Research has found that having hormone replacement therapy after menopause, or enduring large doses of hormones for fertility treatment, can strengthen the chances of ovarian cancer developing. 

 

 Other risk factors that make ovarian cancer more likely include smoking, obesity, use of an IUD (intrauterine device) or polycystic ovary syndrome.

8 Early Warning Signs  

 

One or several of these symptoms offer enough reason for rightful concern. If they persist for longer than two weeks, consult with your physician: 

 

1. Constipation: This can also include other changes in your bowel movements. 

 

2. Pelvic pain: This can range from a feeling of discomfort in the pelvic area, to outright pain. It can also be felt in the abdomen.

3. Frequent, urgent urination: In older women, this can be a sign of weak pelvic floor muscles or a urinary tract infection, but this symptom can also be a sign of ovarian cancer.

 

4. Swollen or bloated abdomen: Your stomach increases in size, and you might feel particularly bloated along with being full of gas. This one is easily detectable when your clothes begin to feel tighter around your waist and hips, without weight gain elsewhere.

 

5. Fatigue: You’ll have slept enough but still feel overly tired and low in energy.

 

6. Pain from sexual activity.  

 

7. Low back pain: This one is especially relevant if it starts in the pelvic area. 

 

8. Loss of appetite, feeling full quickly: You might also observe unexplained weight loss.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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