Chapter 10: Table of Contents
The most common reason for performing a gastrotomy in veterinary medicine is for foreign body retrieval. Through a standard midline approach, the entire gastrointestinal tract should be examined and palpated to determine the location and extent of pathology. If a gastrotomy and enterotomy has to be performed, begin with the gastrotomy (see section on management of foreign bodies). The stomach is exteriorized for gastrotomy. Place stay sutures to facilitate exteriorization and atraumatic manpulation of the stomach. With moist laparotomy sponges, isolate the stomach from the remainder of the abdomen to prevent contamination. Incise the stomach through a relatively avascular area midway between the gastric and gastroepiploic vessels (greater and lesser curvature).