An ulcer in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, where hydrochloric acid and pepsin are present, is referred to as a peptic ulcer.

When the peptic ulcer is located in the stomach, it is called a gastric ulcer. When the peptic ulcer is located in the duodenum, it is called a duodenal ulcer.

In the past, it was believed lifestyle factors, such as stress and diet caused ulcers. Later, researchers determined that stomach acids - hydrochloric acid and pepsin - contributed to ulcer formation.

Today, research shows that most ulcers (80 percent of gastric ulcers and 90 percent of duodenal ulcers) develop as a result of infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

It is believed that, although all of these factors - lifestyle, acid and pepsin, and H. pylori - play a role in ulcer development, H. pylori is considered to be the primary cause in most cases.

The oesophagus (gullet) is a muscular tube, which allows food to travel from your mouth to your stomach. The aim of this surgery is to remove the diseased part of the oesophagus. This may involve removing all or part of your oesophagus, and sometimes part of the stomach, depending on the size and location of the diseased section.

The name of the operation is an Oesophagectomy (sometimes also called Oesophagogastrectomy).

This operation is performed if you have an ulcer or growth which needs to be removed because of the problems it is causing. The ulcers or growths are often caused by cancer, but not always.

Gastrectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the stomach. This surgery is performed as a treatment for stomach cancer and may also be indicated for a bleeding gastric ulcer, a perforation (hole) in the stomach wall, and noncancerous polyps.

The stomach plays such a large role in digestion, that it may be hard to believe that this organ can be removed. Yet, a person can adjust to living without a stomach.

A gastrojejunostomy is a surgical procedure that directly connects the stomach to the jejunum, the second section of the small intestine, by a small tube. The tube allows food, liquids, and medications to bypass the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine. People who have stomach or duodenum blockages, often caused by stomach or pancreas cancer, and cannot properly digest food may need to have this procedure done. In one common version of this procedure, one end of the tube is left in the patient's intestines, with the other end outside of the abdomen, to be used for feeding and giving nutrients for as long as necessary; this is often referred to as a GJ tube or feeding tube.

Laparoscopic fundoplication is a procedure performed for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Many patients with reflux can be treated with medicines to decrease acid production in the stomach. This will minimize the damage to the esophagus from acid refluxed up from the stomach, and allow the esophagus to heal. However some patients continue to have severe symptoms of either regurgitation or incomplete healing of their esophagus despite high doses of medical therapy. These patients should consider surgery as another option. Illustration showing the Nissen Fundoplication procedure.

The problem lies at the junction of the esophagus and stomach where a muscular value (sphincter) should prevent acid from flowing upwards. If this sphincter mechanism fails, acid is free to reflux up into the esophagus causing damage. Surgery basically augments this lower esophageal sphincter by wrapping a portion of the stomach known as the fundus around the lower esophageal sphincter. If performed properly, this procedure will prevent further reflux with minimal side effects, and eliminate the need for long term medical therapy.

Hiatal hernia is a common disorder of the digestive tract. Most patients are elderly and with significant co-morbidities. Historically, the surgical repair of paraesophageal hernias (PHH) has been advocated regardless of the presence of symptoms. In fact, despite patients being symptom-free, the development of potentially life-threatening complications such as obstruction, acute dilatation, perforation, or bleeding of the stomach mucosa, is well-known and has proven to be fatal in 27% of cases. Nevertheless, patients with asymptomatic PHH are likely to develop symptoms needing emergency surgery in only 1.16% of cases with a 5.4% mortality rate. Recently, several authors have questioned the indication for repair in asymptomatic patients and prefer to monitor asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic PHH by ‘watchful waiting’. Our current practice is to operate only in the case symptoms or complications. The laparoscopic repair of PHH is certainly technically challenging. It requires considerable experience with minimally invasive surgery of the foregut, and a complete understanding of esophageal pathophysiology. The basic principles of surgical repair are the reduction of herniated stomach and distal esophagus into the abdominal cavity with tension-free repositioning of 2cm of lower esophagus in a subphrenic position, complete excision of the peritoneal hernia sac from the mediastinum and the repair of the diaphragmatic hiatus.

The Heller myotomy is a laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgical procedure used to treat achalasia. Achalasia is a disorder of the esophagus that makes it hard for foods and liquids to pass into the stomach.

The Heller myotomy is essentially an esophagomyotomy, the cutting the esophageal sphincter muscle, performed laparoscopically.

The operation's success rate is very high and usually permanent. A small number of patients may need addtional treatment.

The main cause of achalasia is degeneration of the nerve cells in the esophagus (the food pipe). The exact reason why this happens is not known. The loss of nerve cells in the esophagus causes two major problems that interfere with swallowing. Firstly, the muscles that line the esophagus do not contract normally, so that swallowed food is not pushed forward through the esophagus and into the stomach properly. Secondly the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a valve made of of muscles, does not relax with swallowing as it does in normal people. As a result, the esophagus above the persistently contracted LES starts to dilate, and large volumes of food and saliva can accumulate in the dilated esophagus.

Splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove your spleen — an organ that sits under your rib cage on the left side of your abdomen. The spleen helps fight infection and filters unneeded material, such as old or damaged blood cells. Although your bone marrow produces most of your blood products, the spleen also produces red blood cells and certain types of white blood cells.

The most common reason for splenectomy is to treat a ruptured spleen, often caused by an abdominal injury. Splenectomy may be used to treat other conditions, including enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), some blood disorders, certain cancers, infection, and noncancerous cysts or tumors.

Splenectomy is most commonly performed using a tiny video camera and special surgical tools (laparoscopic splenectomy).

A pancreatic pseudocyst is a collection of fluid around the pancreas. The fluid in the cyst is usually pancreatic juice that has leaked out of a damaged pancreatic duct. Pancreatic pseudocysts arise after acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis. In some patients the pseudocyst may develop soon after an attack of acute pancreatitis. Often the patient can present many weeks or months after recovery from of an attack of acute or chronic pancreatitis.

The common symptoms that patients present are pain in the abdomen, the feeling of bloating or poor digestion of food, a deep ache in the abdomen or complications related to the pseudocyst such as infection of the pseudocyst with a pancreatic abscess, bleeding into the pseudocyst or blockage of parts of the intestine by the pseudocyst.