A surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the stomach for treatment, exploration, or removal of foreign objects.
From Greek 'gastro-' (stomach) + 'tomy' (cutting). This medical term combines the stomach with the Greek root 'temnein' (to cut), creating the literal meaning 'stomach cutting.'
Before endoscopy was invented, gastrotomy was the only way to see inside a patient's stomach or remove swallowed objects—now it's rarely performed because a flexible camera can do the job with barely any cutting needed!
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