HomeAnswersMedical Gastroenterologygastric outlet obstructionOther than surgery, what can be done for stomach growth that results in fluid accumulation?

A stomach growth is causing fluid to accumulate in my mother's stomach. What to do?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Sneha Kannan

Published At September 16, 2020
Reviewed AtNovember 1, 2022

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

My mom had surgery to remove her fibroid alongside her womb. Later we discovered that she also had gallstones. So another surgery was performed on her to remove her gallbladder. After this, her stomach became so hard and could barely eat anything. After the gallbladder removal, she was told it could have been cancerous, so as of now, she has taken about 10 rounds of chemotherapy. The injectable ones are about six. She also took the pills, which made her palms and other body parts dark, but now they are back to normal. Currently, she is left with her last round of chemotherapy, and it is the injectable one scheduled for next month. After her gallbladder removal due to the swelling and hardening, she could not eat well. We were then referred to a radiologist who said she had some fluid inside her stomach to drain that has taken months.

We took a CT scan which showed she had a small growth in her stomach area, but doctors failed to tell us what it is. The doctor then told us it would be best if she undergoes another surgery to remove the growth that is causing the fluid in her stomach. After the surgery, we were told he could not remove it all and that if he does it, my mom will not be able to urinate or excrete unless they give her a tube. He stitched where he cut after the surgery, but fluid keeps coming from it every day, so my mother constantly goes for dressing. Now we have been referred back to the radiologist. I am afraid we do not know what else to do. Please help.

Answered by Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I feel very sorry to hear about your mother. She has been through very tough times. From the description, it seems she has gastric outlet obstruction, in short, called GOO. This is an obstruction to the stomach and does not let food go down beyond the stomach. This can occur in patients with advanced gall bladder cancer. A hard stomach, unable to retain meals, and frequent vomiting is the presentation of GOO. So the options of management are surgical, which has already failed. Another option is endoscopic metallic stent placement in the stomach and first part of the duodenum (small bowel). You can discuss this with your doctor there and see if it is a possible option for her. Suppose a stent is impossible because of difficult access to the narrowing or absence of expertise. In that case, a feeding gastrostomy (a tube draining stomach into the external environment) can be placed with frequent suctioning of the stomach juices and food after she takes the meals. Let me know how much you understood about this and how further I can help you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ajeet Kumar
Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Medical Gastroenterology

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