Gastrectomy

A gastrectomy is a medical procedure that involves surgically removing the stomach. There are two main types of gastrectomy:

• a partial gastrectomy - where only part of the stomach is removed, and
• a total gastrectomy - where all of the stomach is removed.

If you have a total gastrectomy, the surgeon will connect your oesophagus (the tube that runs from your throat to your stomach) to your bowel. This means that you will still have a working digestive system.

What is a gastrectomy used for?

Gastrectomies are often used to treat stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer). Less commonly, the procedure may be used to treat stomach ulcers, non-cancerous (benign) tumours, and obesity.

Removing some, or all, of your stomach will not affect your body’s ability to digest food or liquid. However, you may need to make changes to your diet, such as eating frequent, smaller meals, rather than three large meals.

Following a gastrectomy, some people will also require vitamin supplements because the stomach is responsible for absorbing certain vitamins from food.

Glossary

Stomach

The sac-like organ of the digestive system. It helps digest food by churning it and mixing it with acids to break it down into smaller pieces

Ulcers

An ulcer is a sore break in the skin, or on the inside lining of the body

Obesity

Obesity is when a person has an abnormally high amount of body fat