Title: Transgastric Endo-Surgical Approaches to Lymph Nodes Using EUS Guidance
Abstract: Background: Lymph node staging and diagnosis using EUS fine needle aspiration is helpful in a variety of tumours. In some patients it may be beneficial to harvest the entire node. In the course of follow up EUS after transgastric manipulations in pigs we observed that reactive lymph nodes of 1-1.5 centimeters could usually be identified adjacent to the stomach. Aim: To develop new transgastric endosurgical approaches to lymph nodes including node tagging, suturing, guide-wire directed hot biopsy, radiofrequency ablation, transgastric lymphadenectomy.