Total Gastrectomy

I had never heard of someone having their whole stomach removed either, I had Someone asked about it so I thought I would post this information for you all.

Surgery is the most common treatment for stomach cancer. The type of surgery depends on the extent of the cancer. There are two main types of stomach cancer surgery:
Partial (subtotal) gastrectomy - The surgeon removes the part of the stomach with cancer. The surgeon also may remove part of the esophagus or part of the small intestine. Nearby lymph nodes and other tissues may be removed.
Total gastrectomy (Which is what my uncle had)- The doctor removes the entire stomach, nearby lymph nodes, parts of the esophagus and small intestine, and other tissues near the tumor. The spleen also may be removed. The surgeon then connects the esophagus directly to the small intestine. The surgeon makes a new "stomach" out of tissue from the intestine.
It is natural to be concerned about eating after surgery for stomach cancer. During surgery, the surgeon may place a feeding tube into your small intestine. This tube helps you get enough nutrition while you heal. The time it takes to heal after surgery is different for each person.

From what was explained to me our stomachs are just like holding tanks, so by connecting the esophagus directly to the small intestine works just like a stomach would. Of course is is smaller, they said he wouldn't be able to eat alot at a time but he would need to eat very often. One thing I don't understand though is I thought the enzymes that help break down the food came from the stomach, I don't understand how his food can get broke down. When I hear an answer to that question I'll let you know.

* Just talked to my mom, she said he started running fever during the night. Seems one thing gets straightened out and something else goes wrong.