In what situations is gastric bypass surgery performed?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thai Binh - Gastroenterologist - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital. Master, Doctor Nguyen Thai Binh has more than 20 years of experience working in abdominal surgery.

Gastrectomy is the removal of part or all of the stomach. Gastrectomy is used to treat stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, benign tumors, peptic ulcers, gastric perforation, or obesity.

Stomach cancer is an extremely dangerous disease, because if the disease is not detected early and treated promptly, the patient will have a very high risk of death. For this disease, gastrectomy is considered an effective method to end the disease or slow down the progression of the disease.
In most cases of stomach cancer, the tumor is so large that it cannot be treated with non-surgical methods such as chemotherapy or radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to remove part or all of the stomach, preventing cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.
If you have a small tumor in the lower part of your stomach, a partial gastrectomy is enough. However, in the case of a large tumor, located in the middle or upper part of the stomach, it is likely that the entire stomach will need to be removed.
Gastrectomy may also be indicated if you have benign tumors. This will prevent these tumors from turning malignant if not removed.

Gastrectomy is the most common treatment for esophageal cancer. Usually, the surgeon removes the tumor along with all or part of the esophagus, nearby lymph nodes, and other tissues in the surgical area (esophagectomy). The surgeon connects the remaining healthy parts of the esophagus to the stomach so that the patient can still swallow. Sometimes, a plastic tube or part of the intestine is used for the connection. The surgeon may also widen the opening of the stomach into the small intestine to allow food in the stomach to pass more easily into the small intestine. Sometimes, gastrectomy is done after another treatment has ended.

Gastric perforation can be caused by gastric ulcer or cancer and gastrectomy is an option depending on the patient's general condition, abdominal condition, duration of illness...
Gastric ulcers when eaten deeply into the stomach wall can cause gastric perforations. This pathology often occurs in patients with long-standing peptic ulcer disease. When the stomach appears perforated, gastric juice will flow into the abdomen and infect the internal organs. If surgery is not indicated early, the patient can develop infection, toxicity, and a high risk of death. In this case, the doctor will surgically sew up the puncture, wash the abdomen and place a drain to drain the fluid.

Certain types of gastric bypass surgery may also be used to treat obesity. By shrinking the stomach, the patient is full faster and eats less. However, gastric bypass surgery is only selected when other weight loss methods such as diet adjustment, exercise, medication... fail.
One form of gastrectomy is a sleeve-shaped gastrectomy that can be used to treat severe obesity. Gastrectomy removes up to 85% of your stomach, you can't eat much and lose weight. This type of surgery is sometimes indicated when the patient is too fat to apply other types of surgery such as gastric banding or gastro-intestinal bypass.
To minimize the need to apply gastrectomy methods, you need to equip yourself with the best knowledge about the disease. Learn how to prevent disease effectively. If you find yourself suffering from stomach diseases, you should proceed with early and definitive treatment. Procrastinating in the examination or arbitrarily treating with unspecified drugs will make the condition worse, causing complications and the inevitable gastric bypass surgery.
There are 2 methods of gastrectomy performed: open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Open surgery is a traditional surgical method, after performed, it will leave a long scar on the patient's abdomen. In addition, open surgery carries a high risk of complications. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery with aesthetic advantages in incision, fast recovery time, accuracy and safety than traditional surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery will be risky if the skill level of the doctor as well as the supporting equipment is not of high quality.
At Vinmec International General Hospital with a team of experienced doctors and a system of modern medical equipment, ensuring complete sterility to meet strict standards for internal surgery Gastrectomy combined with lymph node dissection in the treatment of diseases related to the stomach and duodenum.