Whether the removal of four-fifths of the stomach is serious or not needs to be judged according to the cause of the disease. If the gastrectomy is caused by gastric ulcer or gastritis, it is not too serious, and if it is caused by gastric cancer, it may be relatively more serious.
If four-fifths of the stomach is removed due to gastric ulcer or gastritis, it will have little effect on the patient. The stomach is a volumetric organ that seldom absorbs nutrients, and the body’s nutritional needs can still be met by removing so much of the stomach.
If four-fifths of the stomach is removed due to gastric cancer, the surrounding lymph nodes usually need to be cleared, which leads to a decrease in the stomach’s digestive capacity, and the patient may suffer from abdominal bloating after the operation when eating a small amount of food. Secondly, four-fifths gastrectomy may also be associated with complications such as hypoglycemia, anemia dumping syndrome and lack of nutrition.
Patients should also be aware of whether the proximal or distal stomach was removed. If the proximal stomach was removed, there is a high risk of vagal nerve damage after the surgery, which needs to be treated surgically. If the distal stomach is removed, it may lead to bile reflux, so patients are advised to walk around as much as possible to avoid reflux.
If they feel any obvious discomfort symptoms, patients are advised to go to the hospital immediately for consultation and treatment.