A study published in the June 2009 issue of the Archives of Surgery depicted that laparoscopy-assisted surgery for early gastric cancer resulted in a 98.8% three-year overall survival rate in patients with early gastric cancer. Laparoscopic gastrectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, in contrast with the total removal of the lymph nodes in traditional treatment. In Laparoscopic gastrectomy, a surgeon removes the stomach through a lighted tube, eliminating the need for large surgical incisions and possibly reducing the risk of infection, healing complications, pain and blood loss.