Seoul St. Mary's Hospital performs robotic surgery on 97-year-old gastric cancer patient

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital successfully performed robotic total gastrectomy on a 97-year-old patient with stage 1 gastric cancer. The patient, born in 1929, had previously undergone two endoscopic resections for early gastric cancer in the lower part of the stomach a decade ago. A new tumor was recently discovered in the upper part of the stomach near the esophagus.

Although the cancer was in stage 1, the tumor's size and indistinct boundaries made endoscopic resection impossible. Due to previous treatments in the lower stomach, a total gastrectomy was deemed necessary. Medical staff opted for robotic surgery to ensure precision in deep, narrow surgical areas and to minimize bleeding.

Professor Kim So-jung, a gastrointestinal surgeon at the hospital, emphasized that treatment decisions for elderly patients should not be based solely on chronological age. Instead, a comprehensive evaluation of physical and cognitive functions, underlying conditions, and recovery potential is essential. The patient, who maintains high physical function without the use of canes or hearing aids, has since been discharged and is undergoing follow-up care.