Can a person live without a stomach?

We will find that many people need to have their stomach removed due to illness, and many patients undergo total gastrectomy. After total gastrectomy, food will go directly into the duodenum, which may cause poor digestion of food. Therefore, these patients need to drink only liquid food, and it must be light. Let's learn about the problems after gastrectomy.

After total gastrectomy, food enters the duodenum directly. At the same time, because the vagus nerve is cut off, the time of bile and pancreatic juice secretion is inconsistent with the time of food entry and the secretion function is reduced, which hinders the digestion and absorption of protein and fat. In addition, due to the resection of the cardia, the reflux of intestinal juice, bile, and pancreatic juice can easily cause reflux esophagitis, so the following points should be noted in dietary care.

1. For patients whose weight has dropped significantly due to reduced food intake (significantly less than that of subtotal resection), they must follow the principle of eating small and frequent meals. Eat less at each meal, 4 to 5 meals a day. Do not overeat, and try to eat more easily digestible and nutritious foods.

2. To prevent reflux esophagitis, in order to protect the esophageal mucosa, consume milk and acidic foods (such as chewing small pieces of apples, kelp, and crushed carrots) and avoid eating high-fat, high-concentration viscous liquid foods. To prevent food reflux, take a semi-sitting position after meals. To keep the upper digestive tract empty, fast before going to bed.

3. After gastrectomy, gastric acid decreases and the peristalsis of the upper small intestine speeds up, disrupting the digestive physiological function, thereby affecting the absorption of protein and iron, and thus prone to iron deficiency anemia.

. To this end, patients can eat some lean meat, fish and shrimp, animal blood, animal liver and kidney, egg yolk, soy products, as well as dates, green leafy vegetables, sesame paste and other foods rich in protein and iron.

4. Due to the weakened physiological function of the stomach, do not eat raw, cold, rough and hard food, and avoid eating spicy and irritating condiments such as pepper, mustard, etc.