Gastric outlet obstruction secondary to acid ingestion in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a well-known complication of acid ingestion. However, most reports deal with adults. In this report, the authors present their experience with the treatment of acid-induced GOO in children. METHODS: The records of patients admitted for unintentional ingestion of corrosive agents between 1980 and 2002 were reviewed retrospectively. Data concerning age at ingestion, type of ingested substance, time between ingestion and the first signs of GOO, weight loss, treatment, complications, duration of hospital stay, and long-term follow-up were reviewed. RESULTS: GOO was not observed in any of the children admitted for alkaline ingestion, whereas GOO developed in 8 of 98 children (8.2%) in a mean period of 26.7 +/- 10 days after the ingestion of acid substances. Presenting symptoms were frequent nonbilious vomiting and marked weight loss. All had pyloric obstructions in the upper gastrointestinal series and required surgical intervention. Gastrojejunostomy was the operation of choice for all patients. Oral feedings were started on the third postoperative day. The complications were wound infection in 1 and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in another in the early postoperative period. Mean follow-up is 8.33 +/- 4.45 (4.8-18.7) years. No late complications such as marginal ulcus or stricture at the anastomosis site were observed in the series. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of GOO with gastrojejunostomy gives good long-term results in children. This procedure is safe and causes minimal morbidity particularly in patients without extensive gastric damage.

Two-stage coloesophagoplasty in children with caustic burns of the esophagus: hemodynamic basis of delayed cervical anastomosis--theory and fact.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study was carried out to survey the outcome in patients with corrosive burns of the esophagus who had undergone 2-stage coloesophagoplasty procedures. METHODS: Records of 81 patients with staged cervical coloesophagostomy procedures have been reviewed. In all cases, colon was pulled through the retrosternal route in an antiperistaltic fashion. The native esophagus was left in place. After the cologastric anastomosis at the antral level, cervical anastomosis was delayed for a second stage. Complications related to the procedure, corrective interventions, and long-term results were evaluated. RESULTS: In all patients, the retrosternal route was used for the replacement of the colon. The conduits were constructed from right colon in 20 (24.7%) and left colon in 61 (75.3%) patients. There were 3 leaks (3.7%) and 9 strictures (11%). Terminal necrosis of the cervical colonic piece occurred in 3 patients who had undergone resection of the sloughed terminal end, and all were further treated by right intrathoracic antehilar coloesophagostomies performed between the remaining parts of the transplanted colon and the upper thoracic esophagus. One of these patients had wound dehiscence with subsequent sepsis and died. CONCLUSIONS: Terminal necrosis of the graft is not related to staging of the technique, but the decreased rate of cervical anastomotic strictures seem to be directly correlated with staging of cervical anastomosis. Possibly, an ischemic anastomosis at the terminal end of the graft after extensive mobilization and retrosternal placement is avoided with a delayed anastomosis performed after full restoration of the microcirculation.

Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux with a gastric tube cardioplasty.

PURPOSE: Surgical control of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a challenging problem especially in neurologically impaired children and in acquired GER patients after caustic insult to the esophagus because of high failure rates of the classical antireflux procedures. A surgical technique has been designed to overcome this high relapse incidence. METHODS: During the past 75 months, 39 children between 4 months and 14 years of age underwent a gastric tube cardioplasty fashioned from the lesser curvature as the antireflux barrier. RESULTS: In all patients, the preoperative RI values of 72 to 10 (average, 32) fell to 0 to 5 (average, 2) after the described procedure, and, in the follow-up period of 2 to 75 months, the RI values did not deteriorate in any one of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that a 6-cm antireflux barrier (HPZ) created from the lesser curvature of the stomach is enough to control GER at any age.

Esophageal motility changes in acute and late periods of caustic esophageal burns and their relation to prognosis in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Esophageal burns as a result of accidental swallowing of caustic material are seen frequently in children. Severe motor function disorders of the esophagus after caustic burns are already reported covering the late periods. The aim of this study was to detect, follow, and report the clinical results of esophageal motility changes in acute as well as the late periods of caustic esophageal insult and its relation with prognosis in children. METHODS: Esophageal motility was studied in 20 children aged 1.5 to 11 years (mean, 3.8). In the study group, motility of the esophagus was investigated on the fifth day of the burn (after decrease of the edema) and repeated at the end of the third month. To standardize the results, the amplitude and the duration of the pressure waves were recorded at 3 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), and the velocity in the distal esophagus was calculated. Then the mean values of amplitude, duration, and velocity of 15 swallows were obtained for each patient. RESULTS: At the end of the fifth day, peristaltic response of the esophagus to swallowing was followed in 13 patients. Seven patients were able to swallow water, but no peristaltic response was detected. Therefore, the subjects were divided into 2 groups as motility (+) and motility (-), and each were compared with the control group separately. The amplitude of the pressure wave in the motility (-) group was significantly low when compared with the control group. All the subjects in this group had NaOH burns, and development of severe strictures was detected at the endoscopic examinations after 3 weeks. In motility (+) group, no pathologies were detected except significant decrease in the velocity of the peristaltic wave. Eleven of the subjects in this group had acid burns, and 2 had NaOH burns, and, at the follow-up endoscopic examination after 3 weeks, only one acid burn patient had a slight stricture. Motility measurements conducted at the end of the third month showed that the initial motility (-) group had no changes. No peristaltic response was detected after swallowing, and amplitude of the pressure wave measured at the distal esophagus was significantly lower than the controls. However, in the motility (+) group, decrease in the velocity of the peristaltic wave had disappeared, and there were no differences when compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the manometric studies of the esophagus give important data about the severity of the initial esophageal injury and have an important role in determining the prognosis.

Polytetrafluoroethylene bars in stabilizing the reconstructed sternum for pectus excavatum operations in children.

Nine children with severe pectus excavatum deformity were operated on in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Thoracic Unit, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. There were four boys and five girls, and the mean age at operation was 6.3 years. A modified Ravitch technique was performed by using two polytetrafluoroethylene bars placed retrosternally for fixation and stabilization of the reconstituted anterior chest wall. The bars were removed 6 months after the operation. Results were satisfactory in all cases, with no surgical complications.