Role of Diagnostic Preoperative Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Radiologically Confirmed Gastric Volvulus

Reduction of acute gastric volvulus in a 3-year-old using a balloon-attached endoscope combined with gel immersion endoscopy

When performing endoscopic reduction in patients with gastric volvulus, it is important to maintain a low level of intragastric pressure and to fix the endoscope in the duodenum. Gel immersion endoscopy is a new method for securing the visual field by injecting clear gel. The balloon-attached endoscope makes it easier to fix the tip in the duodenum without mucosal damage. We report successful reduction of a mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus using an endoscope with a balloon in combination with gel immersion endoscopy. A 3-year-old Japanese male developed gastric volvulus. Since gastric decompression using a nasogastric tube failed to reduce the volvulus, endoscopic reduction was performed under general anesthesia. After aspiration of intragastric gas, clear gel was injected through the accessory channel which secured the visual field in the stomach even with residue while maintaining low intragastric pressure. After reaching the descending portion of the duodenum, the balloon attached to the tip of the endoscope was inflated and fixed in the duodenum. The volvulus was successfully reduced by pulling back the endoscope with clockwise torque. Acute mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus has the potential to cause ischemia and perforation which can be life-threatening, so most patients are treated with surgical intervention. Gel immersion endoscopy is safe and effective to secure the visual field, even in children. Endoscopic reduction may be a viable treatment option for reducing gastric volvulus in non-emergent patients.

Gastric Volvulus: A Complication of Hiatal Hernia

Gastric volvulus is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, with difficult diagnosis. We present a case report of a demented woman aged 65 years that attended the emergency department with epigastric pain and vomiting for the past 10 days. The chest plain revealed a retrocardiac air-filled mass and the abdomino-pelvic computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of gastric volvulus. The patient was admitted. A nasogastric tube was introduced, antibiotics and parenteric nutrition were started and the patient didn't eat anything. The patient was operated at fifth day of admission by laparoscopy. There weren't signs of gastric necrosis, so the stomach was mobilized for its natural position on abdominal cavity, the hiatal defect was closed and a Nissen fundoplicature was performed. The post operative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the third post-operative day, without any complication. This case illustrates a sub acute presentation form of gastric volvulus and a differed minimally invasive approach attending at the patient's clinical stability.