Why is stomach resection surgery required?
Stomach resection surgery may be recommended to a patient for a number of different reasons. It may be used to treat problems such as ulcers or bleeding where other treatments have failed. However, it is most commonly recommended for patients who have been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Currently, gastric surgery is currently the only way of curing cancer of the stomach, and is almost always combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments to help improve the odds of survival.
Stomach resection surgery may also be recommended for patients who have been diagnosed with terminal cancer, as a palliative care treatment. This is because cancer in the stomach can cause blockages to occur, preventing the passage of food through the digestive system. When this happens, the patient can experience a range of unpleasant symptoms including pain, sickness, constipation and bleeding. Gastric surgery can remove the blockage and eliminate such symptoms.
What happens during stomach resection surgery?
Ahead of your stomach resection surgery, you may be asked to stop taking certain medications, and may be prescribed a course of antibiotics. A special diet may also be recommended.
Stomach resection surgery is a major procedure and therefore will be performed while you are asleep under a general anesthetic. You will be asleep for the duration of the surgery and will have no recollection of it afterwards.
In conventional stomach resection surgery, an incision will be made into your abdomen which your surgeon will use to access the stomach. However, if you are having the surgery performed laparoscopically, it will only be necessary for your surgeon to create several smaller incisions into your abdomen, as the laparoscope can be fed into your body, providing a clear image of your stomach without needing to cut you open. If only a part of the stomach is being removed, the remaining section of your stomach will be reconnected to your small intestine and esophagus. However, if it is necessary to remove the entire stomach, your surgeon will have to create a new stomach out of your intestinal tissue.
The wounds can then be closed using sutures or staples, and a dressing will be applied.
Recovery from stomach resection surgery
If you have had conventional stomach resection surgery, you can expect to be in some considerable discomfort when you come around after the procedure. You will be given pain medications for the duration of your stay in hospital, which could be anywhere from 6 to 12 days. Recovery from conventional stomach resection surgery is slow, and you will find many restrictions on how much you can move, what you can eat and when you can eat.
By comparison, the recovery period from laparoscopic surgery is normally much shorter. This is largely due to the fact that much smaller incisions are made, which can heal much more quickly. Smaller wounds are also less likely to be affected by complications, and are much less painful to contend with, meaning that you will have less reliance on medications. Most patients also find that they can return to their normal activities significantly faster. Want to learn more about stomach resection surgery? Call Laparoscopic Surgical Center of New York in Manhattan for a consultation at 646-859-1400.
