No two people, and thus … NO TWO stomachs are the same!!
More specifically, we want to provide the following information about the importance of the stomach, which is evaluated before surgery.
Here @ LoneStar Bariatrics, our team has over 20 years of experience working on the stomach and GI tract. We have an extensive history of operating on the stomach and intestines and helping patients make informed decisions.
The stomach is a very complex organ and has THE LARGEST NAMED BLOOD SUPPLY IN THE BODY. * even greater named blood supply than the brain!
The arteries providing blood to the stomach are:
- Right gastric
- Left Gastric
- Gastroduodenal
- Right Gastroepiploic
- Left Gastroepiploic
- Short gastric arteries
The blood supply is robust, as is the function.
The stomach and brain are intricately connected and communicate directly with one another. No more so than if you ever experienced feeling “hangry” or a given situation which makes you “feel nauseated!”
This connection is no joke! Emotions, conditions, and anxiety are linked to the stomach. The hormones and responses can even cause “gut-wrenching” and “butterflies.” The gastrointestinal tract is very sensitive to these exposures. The brain can directly affect your stomach and intestines. The simple thought of food or emotions, such as extreme nerves or stress, can often cause nausea or “stomach cramps.”
However, this is a two-way street. The stomach and, to some extent your intestines, can also communicate or ‘talk’ to your brain. These signals evoke hunger or fullness. You can see that psychology, as much as physiology or anatomy, plays a factor.
Understanding this is paramount to making sound surgical decisions and approaches.
Most patients and surgeons should understand the variability in size and shape, but also another main difference, which is THICKNESS.
The stomach is a three-dimensional structure. Sometimes the size and shape are HIGHLY variable.
Variations include:
- J shaped
- Reversed-L
- cylindrical
- bag-like
- Crescentic
The stomach is often evaluated preoperatively. This is accomplished endoscopically or radiographically, with contrast and X-ray imaging. We can evaluate shape, size, hernia defects, diverticuli, infections like H pylori, and ulcers.
Knowing this anatomy can help with surgical decisions.
Surgeons have several options and tools when making operative decisions. Knowing YOU, the patient, including the emotional, psychological, and anatomical variations, matters. Several staplers and cutting devices are available, including different staple heights. Discussing these details is not beyond the scope of any potential technical discussion.
Personally, I feel a surgeon should have exposure and experience with all the products and thus be able to offer a variety of options. No detail is too small, and knowing in advance will often lead to a better outcome.
Complicating the above, is the history of ANY previous abdominal surgery, especially if someone had previous stomach surgery, which is technically called a RE-operative field. The re-operative field can add many layers of complexity. Thus, ANY revision surgery should not be tackled by the faint of heart and must be properly evaluated!
Again, we have an extensive history of operating on the stomach and intestines and helping patients make informed decisions. If you are considering surgery, please call for your consultation.
