Laparoscopic gastrectomy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar: my experience
In Myanmar, laparoscopic gastrectomy is still uncommon. The first author demonstrated laparoscopic gastrectomy in response to a request from Myanmarese surgeons. The patient was a 62-year-old male with gastric outlet obstruction. He had been unable to eat solid food for a month. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the antrum, and the biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction was performed by the author with the assistance of Myanmarese surgeons thanks to donated devices. The postoperative course was uneventful. As laparoscopic gastrectomy requires more equipment, is more expensive, requires more time than open surgery, and requires training, there are several obstacles to its widespread adoption in Myanmar.
