gastrectomy
Meaning of gastrectomy: Gastrectomy removes all or part of the stomach, most often to treat stomach cancer or certain severe stomach conditions.
Definition of gastrectomy
Gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that removes all or part of the stomach. A partial gastrectomy removes a portion of the stomach while leaving the remainder in place, while a total gastrectomy removes the entire organ, after which the esophagus is connected directly to the small intestine to maintain a passage for food.
The procedure is most often performed to treat stomach cancer, and it is also used for certain other conditions affecting the stomach that have not responded to less invasive treatment. Because the stomach plays a role in digestion and in absorbing certain nutrients, gastrectomy, particularly a total gastrectomy, requires long-term changes to eating patterns and monitoring for nutritional deficiencies afterward.
The extent of gastrectomy performed depends on the location and extent of the disease being treated.
How gastrectomy is built
- gastr/o Combining form · Greek stomach
- -ectomy Suffix · Greek surgical removal, excision
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
A total gastrectomy was performed to remove the tumor involving the upper portion of the stomach.
Good to know
After a total gastrectomy, the body can no longer absorb certain nutrients as it did previously, including vitamin B12, which is why ongoing monitoring and supplementation are typically part of long-term follow-up.
Word origin
Where “gastrectomy” comes from
Formed from gastr-, from Greek gaster, meaning "stomach," and -ectomy, from Greek ektome, meaning "a cutting out."