Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, occurs when normal cells grow out of control and form a tumor in the stomach.
In general, cancer begins when an error (mutation) occurs in a cell’s DNA. The mutation causes the cell to grow and divide at a rapid rate and to continue living when a normal cell would die.
The accumulating cancerous cells form a tumor that can invade nearby structures. And cancer cells can break off from the tumor to spread throughout the body.
If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
Common surgery approaches are open surgery and minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy), which includes da Vinci Surgery.
Using the da Vinci Surgical System, surgeons operate through a few small incisions. The da Vinci System has a 3D HD vision system that gives doctors a magnified view inside the body. It also has tiny instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand. These features enable surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control.
da Vinci surgery offers the following potential benefits compared to traditional laparoscopy:
- Lower blood loss;
- Quicker return of bowel function;
- Lower rate of complications;
- Shorter hospital stay;
- Small incisions for minimal scarring.
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