Operations
on the
stomach

Operations on the stomach

Surgery on the stomach has undergone dramatic change during the last 2 ½ decades. With the introduction of proton pump inhibitors (Antra, Nexium, Pantozol etc.) in the late 80ies and the discovery of helicobacter and its role in the etiology of gastric ulcers, surgery of benign disease of the stomach has literally disappeared. Operations like vagotomy (to reduce acid production) or surgery of gastric ulcers and their complication (bleeding, stenosis etc.) have given way to medical and endoscopic treatment. Gastric cancer is clearly decreasing in incidence in the Western world, probably due to a higher quality of food. On the other hand surgery of gastric cancer has been stepped up in radicality and techniques of lymph adenectomy (removal of lymph nodes) have been improved in the late 80ies and early 90ies.