Gastrotomy

A gastrotomy for foreign body removal is usually made in the body of the stomach so that the pyloric region will not be obstructed by an inverting closure. The stomach is incised midway between the greater and lesser curvatures in the least vascular region of the serosa. Stay sutures can be placed along the edges of the incision to facilitate retraction and exposure, and gastric contents can be removed by suction to reduce contamination. Foreign bodies are usually removed by grasping them with Allis tissue, Carmalt, or Kelly forceps. Most surgeons will perform a two-layer closure, with the choice of patterns based on surgeon preference. Gastrotomies usually heal quickly and rarely dehisce.