Gastrectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the stomach. The body's digestive system uses the stomach to receive and break down food into nutrients that can be absorbed by the small intestine. If the stomach is completely removed, the esophagus is connected directly to the small intestine, which requires some dietary changes.

Stomach-related operations performed with robotic assistance include removal of cancerous or benign tumors, ulcer repair, insertion of gastric pacemakers and gastric bypass to relieve obstructions of the stomach and upper intestine.