1 Nov 2012Case Report
Acute afferent loop obstruction treated by endoscopic decompression. Case report and review of literature
Ciro Martino 1Paolo Caiazzo 1Michele Albano 1Mauro Pastore 1Pio Tramutoli 1Rosario Rocca 2Manuela Botte 2Angelo Sigillito 3
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Emergency Surgery Unit, “San Carlo” Regional Hospital, Potenza, Italy
2 Emergency Radiology Unit, “San Carlo” Regional Hospital, Potenza, Italy
3 Digestive Endoscopy Unit, “San Carlo” Regional Hospital, Potenza, Italy
Ann. Ital. Chir., 2012, 83(6), 555-558;
Published: 1 Nov 2012
Copyright © 2012 Annali Italiani di Chirurgia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Afferent loop syndrome (ALS) is a rare complication of Billroth-II gastrojejunostomy. Most cases of ALS are caused by obstruction from adhesions, kinking at the anastomosis, internal hernia, stomal stenosis, malignancy, or inflammation surrounding the anastomosis. A 61-years old man, who had undergone gastric resection 30 years before, was admitted at emergency room with severe abdominal pain in acute onset, nausea and vomiting. Ultrasonography and multi-detector computed tomography suggested acute ALS, due probably to adhesions or internal hernia. The patient was conducted to digestive endoscopy unit and successfully treated with endoscopic decompression of dilated afferent loop. Open surgery is actually considered the gold-standard in treatment of ALS. However, some surgeons report a few cases treated by laparoscopic surgery, interventional radiology techniques, endoscopic decompression. Authors suggest endoscopic decompression of acute ALS due to adhesions or internal hernia as the first treatment, especially in high-surgical-risk patients.
Keywords
- Afferent loop syndrome
- Endoscopic decompression
- Gastrectomy