Page 7 - Family Help

Understanding oesophageal (gullet) cancer

(Jejunostomy tube) to be inserted into your small bowel for extra nutrition. Your
Dietitian will discuss this further with you.

An oesophagectomy
This operation involves the removal of part or most of the oesophagus and
possibly part of the stomach, the amount of each varies according to the position
and size of the tumour. The stomach is then moved into the chest and joined to
the remainder of the oesophagus. The join may be near the neck or slightly lower
but usually most of the stomach will be in the chest. Very occasionally the bowel is
used to replace the oesophagus instead of the stomach.

A: Before surgery B: Following an oesophagectomy

Keyhole Surgery
Some patients are offered keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery for part of their
operation – either the abdominal part only, or both the abdominal and chest parts.
Doing the operation in this way means you will only have a small opening or
openings instead of one larger cut. Despite the smaller cuts, you should not
underestimate the seriousness of your operation.

The stomach
The stomach forms part of the digestive system. The upper part is joined to the
oesophagus and the lower part is joined to the beginning of the small bowel (see
illustration on page 1).

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