Gastric cancer patients need to control more than just diet after surgery

Gastric cancer patients need to pay attention to many things after surgical resection, not just the diet control that people know. When some abnormal symptoms occur, they should also seek medical treatment in time, return to the doctor on time, and follow up regularly.

The following symptoms should be taken seriously

Generally, gastric cancer patients will experience nausea, belching, upper abdominal pain or discomfort, heartburn or indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss and other symptoms after surgery. Most of these symptoms are caused by functional disorders of the digestive tract, and the symptoms are generally mild and can be relieved on their own. However, if the above symptoms are progressively aggravated or cannot be relieved after drug treatment, the patient needs to seek medical attention in time.

How to follow up after resection

Generally, patients need to go to the hospital for follow-up examination 3 to 6 months after surgery (it is recommended to go to the hospital where the gastrectomy was originally performed) and make a further follow-up plan based on the patient's specific situation. The general follow-up examination items include: blood, radiology and gastroscopy examinations.

How to follow up regularly

Generally, gastric cancer patients need to visit the follow-up clinic for reexamination every 6 months 1-2 years after surgery, every 6-12 months for 3-5 years, and once a year thereafter. The follow-up examination items are determined by the clinical situation, and generally include blood, radiology and gastroscopy examinations. If problems are found during the follow-up clinic examination, the surgeon at the time will be consulted on the next treatment plan (all examination materials can be brought along). This not only reduces the burden on the specialist clinic but also saves time for patients.