Stomach Diseases and Stomach Cancer Surgery
October 25, 2021 / By Nihat.Gulaydin-2021 / Posted in General Surgery
The stomach is the largest part of the intestinal system and is the first digestive organ that food visits, right after the esophagus. Here, foods are treated with stomach acid and broken down into smaller pieces. Food is thrown into the duodenum in approximately 3-4 hours. Digestion continues here. The stomach secretes substances that play a role in the absorption of iron necessary for blood production and the absorption of vitamin B12.
Benign diseases of the stomach
Stomach ulcer and gastritis are the most common stomach disorders. Some stomach ulcers are confused with stomach cancers. To understand this, endoscopy is performed and a piece is taken and sent to pathology for diagnosis. While the treatment of benign stomach diseases is medication, surgical treatment should be performed in the presence of cancer.
Stomach polyps, that is, skin tags originating from inside the stomach, must also be removed endoscopically. If the polyps are cancerous or very large, surgical treatment is required.
Gastric cancer
Stomach cancer is a common cancer and its diagnosis and treatment requires a special approach. Patients often present with symptoms of weight loss, bleeding or obstruction. The most effective diagnostic method is to see the tumor by endoscopic examination, take a piece and evaluate it in pathology. In addition, radiological examinations such as entire abdominal tomography and PET-CT should be performed to understand the extent of the tumor.
Neoadjuvant treatment can be performed in suitable patients. The primary treatment is surgery, and the tumor must be removed along with the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes.
These procedures, which take approximately 2-4 hours, can be performed as closed (laparoscopic) or open surgery. In appropriate cases, laparoscopic surgery allows the patient to have a lighter and less painful post-operative hospital stay, which lasts approximately 1 week. After all procedures are completed, patients are directed to the relevant units for oncological treatment.