Gastrectomy Surgery

When an organ in the body gets affected due to some infection or disease and is beyond repair, then the only option left is the surgical removal of the organ. This is done to discard the affected organ from the body and prevent it from damaging the other healthy organs of the human body system. Similarly gastrectomy surgery is performed when there is a disorder in the stomach, which is beyond treatment. It usually involves the partial or total surgical removal of the stomach, in cases of disorders like stomach cancer, hole or perforation in the stomach or due to the presence of stomach ulcers which have become severe in nature.

A Glimpse of Gastrectomy Surgery

As mentioned earlier, gastrectomy is the surgical removal of the stomach. This can be either a partial or total gastrectomy. But what will a person do if one of the most important organs in his body, the stomach, is removed? Though the stomach is essential for digestion, the body, after a period of time, gets adjusted to this condition. The surgery, which is carried out under general anesthesia, involves the procedure of removing a part or the whole stomach and rejoining the small intestine to the esophagus. This invasive surgery is used as method of treatment for bleeding stomach ulcers, stomach cancer, perforated peritoneum and removal of uncontrolled growth of polyps in stomach, which may be cancerous or non cancerous in nature. The patient may be required to stay in the hospital of about 10 to 15 days after the surgery.

Another type of stomach surgery is the sleeve gastrectomy, also known as vertical gastrectomy surgery (VSG), which is actually performed on obese patients as a measure for weight loss. This obesity surgery is usually non-reversible in nature and gives people who are obese a chance to regain their former body weight and shape. Also known as thelap band surgery or laparoscopic banding surgery, this procedure is carried out through a laparoscope and is a minimal invasive surgery. A portion of the stomach is removed to reduce the waistline and individuals who have undergone this surgery have positively experienced 15 to 25 percent weight loss. The surgery cost may vary from hospital to hospital. It may also depend on the health condition of the patient. However the average cost of the surgery may range from approximately USD 10,000 to USD 15,000. The cost includes the diagnosis fee, hospital facility fee, surgeon's fee, anesthesia fee and post operation consultation fees.

Gastrectomy Complications

Though this stomach surgery can relieve the patient from his woes and is a relatively safe surgical process, there are some complications associated with it, as is with all the surgeries. There are a few complications that can occur post gsurgery.

• One of the most common complications of gastrectomy is dumping, which occurs when the food and fluids are emptied quickly into the small intestine. However, a positive streak about this complication is that it tends to resolve itself after a couple of months.
• The patient may also develop megaloblastic pernicious anemia, when the body fails to absorb the required amount of vitamin B12, leading to red blood cells deficiency.
• The individual may become susceptible to a number of bacterial or viral infections, which may cause inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach, called the peritoneum. This leads to a condition known as peritonitis, where the abdominal wall may become inflamed and swollen.
• One of the complications is internal bleeding or hemorrhage, in the place where edges of the stomach have been joined after the surgery.
• Another sleeve gastrectomy complication is the occurrence of gallbladder stones, trocar site infection at the region of the incision and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux disease.

The gastrectomy diet mainly consists of foods that can be easily digested. Similarly, sleeve gastrectomy diet, must consist of proteins, which can help speed up the recovery process. Eat nutritious and stay healthy. Wish you good health and take care!