The surgery of the upper gastrointestinal tract focuses on diseases of the esophagus and stomach. These diseases can be benign, such as gastroesophageal reflux, achalasia of the esophagus, and hiatal hernia, or malignant, such as esophageal and stomach cancer.
The diagnosis of these conditions that require surgical intervention is made with the help of a gastroenterologist. Patients initially consult a gastroenterologist for symptoms like dysphagia, dyspepsia, regurgitation, and food reflux. In most cases, the diagnosis is made through gastroscopy, during which biopsies are also taken.
Surgical treatment of these conditions can be performed either through open surgery or minimally invasive methods. The laparoscopic approach to upper gastrointestinal diseases makes the treatment particularly patient-friendly and well-tolerated, significantly reducing both postoperative pain and hospital stay duration.
At the Surgical Clinic of Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus, a wide range of upper gastrointestinal surgeries is performed, such as:
- Laparoscopic repair of hiatal hernia (Nissen fundoplication)
- Partial, almost total, and total gastrectomy for stomach cancer, depending on the location of the tumor (pyloric antrum, body, or fundus of the stomach)
- Segmental gastrectomy for stromal tumors of the stomach (GISTs)