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Your stomach and part of your oesophagus have been surgically removed.

The oesophagus or gullet connects the mouth with the stomach. It is a muscular tube. The muscles in the oesophagus move food into the stomach. The stomach is located in the upper left abdomen. The stomach stores food and breaks it down further. Harmful pathogens are also killed by gastric acid in the stomach. The stomach thus prepares the food for digestion in the intestines.

Your stomach and part of your oesophagus have been cut out. A small section of the beginning of your small intestine was also removed. A section of your small intestine lower down was also removed. This piece of intestine was then stitched in between the remaining upper end of your oesophagus and the open upper end of your small intestine.

So now, post-surgery, food passes through the piece of intestine that has been stitched in to your small intestine. So the additional piece of intestine is replacing part of your oesophagus and your stomach. The aim of the piece of intestine is to prevent digestive juices from your liver or your pancreas from flowing back into the remaining part of your oesophagus.

The operation also involved removing all of the lymph nodes around your stomach and around other organs in your abdomen. The lymph nodes are small bean-shaped objects. They are found throughout the body. Lymph nodes filter the tissue fluid. They are part of the defense system.