5-448.41:

You have had an operation on the passage between your oesophagus and your stomach. The operation involved wrapping part of your stomach around your oesophagus.

The oesophagus is usually closed by a sphincter muscle at the junction to the stomach. This is meant to prevent the stomach contents and gastric acid being regurgitated into the oesophagus. Only during swallowing does the oesophagus briefly open its sphincter muscle to the stomach.

To support the oesophageal sphincter, part of the stomach can be wrapped around the lower part of the oesophagus. This involves wrapping this piece around the oesophagus like a collar, and stitching in place there.

To operate on your stomach, your chest was opened by making an incision in your skin. Your stomach was then operated on through your diaphragm. The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. The stomach is usually below the diaphragm in the abdomen.