STOMACH & SMALL BOWEL SURGERY

The stomach and small bowel – also known as the small intestine – are critical parts of the digestive tract. The stomach is lined with muscles that contract to aid in food digestion, which also involves breaking down of the food with acids. The small bowel is the part of your body where the majority of digestion takes place. As the food you’re digesting passes through this part of the digestive tract, the nutrients and calories are absorbed. Although the bowel is about the width of one finger, it is a very long organ and stretches out about 22 feet. 

Dr. Takla offers stomach and small bowel surgery to treat a variety of conditions including bleeding, inflammations, cancer, ulcers, or obstructions (due to blockages or deformations) in this portion of the digestive tract. 

WHAT CONDITIONS COULD NEED STOMACH OR SMALL BOWEL SURGERY?

SMALL BOWEL OBSTRUCTION

A small bowel obstruction is a blockage in the small bowel that prevents normal flow of contents through the digestive tract. This can be a potentially dangerous condition. There are two types of small bowel obstruction:

• Functional — there is no physical blockage, however, the bowels are not moving food through the digestive tract

• Mechanical — there is a blockage preventing the movement of food.

Most obstructions resolve after a few days, although operative intervention may be necessary if a patient does not get better. The surgery is called lysis of adhesions, which means cutting the scar tissue and freeing up the trapped bowel. If any part of the bowel looks unhealthy or dead, it will be cut out and the healthy ends will be sewn back together. 

PEPTIC ULCER

Peptic ulcers occur when the acids that help you digest food damages the walls of the stomach or duodenum. The most common cause is infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. Peptic ulcers can get worse if not treated and may require surgery if they don't heal.  

HIATAL HERNIA

A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach bulges through the large muscle separating your abdomen and chest (diaphragm). A small hiatal hernia usually doesn't cause problems. You may never know you have one unless your doctor discovers it when checking for another condition. However, a large hiatal hernia can allow food and acid to back up into your esophagus, leading to heartburn. Generally, self-care measures or medications will relieve these symptoms, but very large hiatal hernias might require surgery.

GASTRIC POLYPS

Gastric polyps are abnormal growths on the inner lining of your stomach. Most are harmless and don’t cause symptoms. There are many types of gastric polyps and they happen for different reasons. Some have little or no risk of becoming cancer. Others have a higher risk of turning into cancer. Most gastric polyps are diagnosed during an upper endoscopy. Your treatment depends on the size, location, appearance, and type of polyp you have. Dysplastic polyps or cancerous growths, are often removed surgically.

CROHN'S DISEASE

Crohn’s disease is an incurable inflammatory disorder that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Surgery is typically performed when the patient’s symptoms are no longer being controlled with their medications.  This usually means there is a section of bowel that is either too scarred or narrow to function properly.  The surgery can be performed either through a traditional open approach or a minimally invasive procedure. Emergency surgery may be performed when a patient has either a perforation (a hole in their bowel) or a blockage of the bowel. 

The most common procedure is known as a small bowel resection, the removal of one or more segments of the small intestine, or bowel. Following removal of part of the bowel, the remaining bowel is reconnected if possible. The end of the bowel can also be brought through a surgical opening in the skin of the abdominal wall. This procedure (called an ostomy) redirects waste (feces) from the bowels. 

STOMACH CANCER

Surgery is an important treatment for stomach cancer. The type of surgery you have depends mainly on the size and location of the tumor. You may have surgery to remove part or all of the stomach, known as a partial or total gastrectomy. Nearby lymph nodes and parts of other tissues or organs near the tumor may also be removed during this procedure.

If the tumor is blocking the stomach and the cancer cannot be completely removed by standard surgery, we may recommend a Gastrojejunostomy. This surgical procedure uses a small tube to connect the stomach with part of the small intestine. This tube allows patients to have food, liquids, and medications administered through the end of the tube that is outside of the abdomen. 

Surgery on the stomach can also include any type of bariatric procedure. It can also be related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which involves frequent or constant acid-reflux. There are also different types of hernias involving the stomach which are often surgically repaired. 

Learn more about other services that Dr. Takla provides: