From Surgery to Recovery: A Practical Guide to Gastrectomy

A gastrectomy removes all or part of the stomach. Indications include stomach cancer and bariatric treatment for clinically severe obesity. Sleeve gastrectomy—a partial gastrectomy that creates a narrow “sleeve” stomach—is a commonly selected bariatric procedure for patients with Class III obesity or obesity with related medical problems.

Main procedure types

• Sleeve gastrectomy (partial): removes most of the greater curvature to reduce stomach volume and alter hunger hormones; usually performed laparoscopically.
• Subtotal/partial gastrectomy: removes a portion of the stomach for focal disease or cancer control.
• Total gastrectomy: removes the entire stomach; reconstruction connects the esophagus directly to the small intestine and is typically used for extensive malignancy or prophylactic indications in high-risk patients.

Who this mainly serves
While gastrectomy addresses several conditions, a principal contemporary indication in the U.S. is surgical management of severe obesity. Sleeve gastrectomy is widely adopted in bariatric practice for appropriately selected patients. Gastrectomy remains essential for curative or palliative management of gastric cancer.

Advantages of minimally invasive approach
Laparoscopic gastrectomy is associated in systematic reviews with shorter hospital stays, faster early recovery and reduced intraoperative blood loss compared with open surgery, although overall recovery from major resection still takes weeks to months. Outcomes depend on patient health, procedure complexity and surgical experience.

Typical cost ranges (illustrative)

• Sleeve gastrectomy (bariatric): commonly reported U.S. ranges near $15,000–$25,000, with wider package variability by centre and included services.
• Total gastrectomy (oncologic): hospital-cost analyses report mean short-term episode costs on the order of $12,000–$13,000 for uncomplicated cases; costs increase with complications and ICU needs.

Where to receive care (example U.S. centres by city)

• Los Angeles: UCLA Health; Cedars-Sinai.
• New York: NYU Langone; Mount Sinai.
• Chicago: Northwestern Medicine; University of Chicago Medicine.
• Houston: MD Anderson Cancer Center (oncologic gastrectomy); Memorial Hermann / Texas Medical Center (bariatric programs).
• Miami: Jackson Health System; University of Miami Health.
• Boston: Massachusetts General Hospital; Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
• San Francisco: UCSF Health.
• Seattle: UW Medicine.
• Dallas: Baylor University Medical Center.
• Philadelphia: Penn Medicine.

Practical tips
Complete preoperative evaluation, follow smoking-cessation and medication guidance, arrange post-discharge support, and expect staged nutrition with vitamin monitoring (for example, B12). Discuss personalised cost estimates and insurance preauthorization with the surgical centre.

Sources

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/gastrectomy
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/sleeve-gastrectomy/about/pac-20385183
• https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-procedures/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9016843/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9856973/
• https://www.carecredit.com/well-u/health-wellness/gastric-sleeve-costs-and-financing/
• https://www.credee.com/gastric-sleeve-cost-all-you-need-to-know-in-2024/
• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2634513
• https://www.healthline.com/health/weight-loss-surgery-recovery-time
• https://montefioreeinstein.org/patient-care/services/surgery/treatment/weight-reduction/MBSAQIP