Gastrectomy Health Article

Definition

Gastrectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the stomach.

Description

The surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free). The surgeon makes a cut in the abdomen and removes all or part of the stomach, depending on the reason for the operation.

Depending on what part of the stomach was removed, the intestine may need to be re-connected to the remaining stomach (partial gastrectomy) or to the esophagus (total gastrectomy).

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Gastrectomy is used to treat bleeding, inflammation, non-cancerous tumors, or cancer.

Risks

Risks of any anesthesia include:

• Severe medication reaction
• Problems breathing

Risks of any operation include:

• Bleeding
• Infection

After the Procedure

How well you do after surgery depends on the reason for the surgery and your underlying condition.