What is a gastropexy?
Gastropexy is a surgical procedure to “tack” the stomach in place within the abdomen to prevent it from moving or rotating. This is ideally performed as a preventative, elective procedure to decrease risk of future bloat and stomach displacement or twisting (gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV). Often, preventive gastropexy is recommended for dogs of predisposed breeds at the same time as a neuter surgery (spay or castration). For dogs that do develop a bloated and twisted stomach, gastropexy is performed as a part of a corrective and life-saving surgery; the intent is that the gastropexy will prevent the same problem from occurring again.
The stomach is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that is between the esophagus and the small intestines, in the front part of the abdomen near the ribs. It is loosely held in place by connective tissue and ligaments, which function to help keep the stomach in the right position and orientation. In some disorders, such as gastric dilation and volvulus; the stomach fills with gas and flips over on itself. This abnormal positioning prevents gas from moving through the stomach and cuts off blood supply to the rest of the body; this is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate surgery. Certain breeds of dogs, particularly large breeds with deep chests such as Great Danes, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, poodles, and golden or Labrador retrievers, are predisposed to developing this condition.
How is a gastropexy performed?
During gastropexy, the stomach is surgically attached to the inside of the body wall. This is generally accomplished through making a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity and suturing the wall of the stomach to the inside of the abdominal muscles.
What are the potential risks of a gastropexy?
The most common risks with the surgery include bleeding, infection, anesthetic risk, or breakdown of the sutures, requiring a second surgery. Pets may develop abnormal heart rhythms after surgery, particularly if the gastropexy is done to fix a GDV. Minor complications include stomach upset, diarrhea, and postoperative pain. Very rarely, gastropexy can cause abnormal stomach emptying that might result in vomiting. Failure of the tacking procedure resulting in recurrence of stomach twisting, while uncommon, is possible.