What are the complications of gastric cancer surgery? Pay attention to these six points

Gastric cancer surgery does have complications, but each patient has a different constitution, different severity of illness, and different symptoms of complications. There are only a few common complications, such as poor appetite, malnutrition, dumping syndrome, bleeding, anastomotic leakage, intestinal obstruction, gastroparesis, etc. When you find these symptoms, don't worry, most patients will have complications, as long as they are treated in time, there will be no problem.

There are many ways to treat gastric cancer, but surgery is an ideal treatment for patients with early-stage gastric cancer. However, gastric cancer surgery will cause great trauma to the patient's body and may cause complications after surgery. Therefore, patients should pay attention to their physical health after surgery, and actively seek medical treatment if any abnormalities occur. Let's learn about the complications of gastric cancer surgery?
1. Malnutrition <br/>After gastric cancer patients undergo surgery, part of the stomach will be removed. As the stomach capacity decreases, the amount of food eaten will also decrease. In addition, the food stays in the stomach for too short a time, which will affect the patient's nutrient absorption, resulting in symptoms of malnutrition. Long-term malnutrition can also cause anemia or vitamin deficiency in patients.
2. Bleeding <br/>Bleeding is also one of the complications of gastric cancer surgery, and it is more common at the anastomosis site. Most patients will bleed within 24 hours after surgery, and only a few patients will have bleeding symptoms about 1 week after surgery. The main cause of bleeding is that the blood vessels are not completely sutured during suturing, or the stitches are too sparse during suturing.
3. Dumping <br/>Some patients may experience symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and upper abdominal discomfort 2-3 weeks after surgery. Half of these symptoms occur after eating sweets and do not last too long. They usually disappear on their own in about 15-30 minutes. This symptom is called "dumping syndrome."
4. Anastomotic Leakage <br/>A serious complication after gastric cancer surgery is anastomotic leakage. This complication is caused by tissue edema at the surgical site and poor suturing techniques. It usually occurs 3-8 days after surgery. However, some patients also suffer from anastomotic leakage due to malnutrition.
5. Intestinal obstruction <br/>Patients may experience symptoms of intestinal obstruction after gastric cancer surgery, usually about 10 days after surgery. Most of them are functional pseudo-intestinal obstruction, and patients will experience symptoms such as abdominal distension, belching, hiccups, and vomiting. If the patient has sudden abdominal pain, vomiting, cramps, tenderness, rebound pain, etc., it is complete mechanical intestinal obstruction.
6. Gastroparesis <br/>Gastroparesis is one of the more common complications after gastric cancer surgery, which may be related to the severance of the vagus nerve and changes in gastric tension. It often occurs when patients start eating or their diet changes after surgery. Patients often experience symptoms such as abdominal distension, chest tightness, and upper abdominal discomfort.