The evolving management of gastric outlet obstruction from peptic ulcer disease

Medical versus surgical treatment for refractory or recurrent peptic ulcer

BACKGROUND

Refractory peptic ulcers are ulcers in the stomach or duodenum that do not heal after eight to 12 weeks of medical treatment or those that are associated with complications despite medical treatment. Recurrent peptic ulcers are peptic ulcers that recur after healing of the ulcer. Given the number of deaths due to peptic ulcer-related complications and the long-term complications of medical treatment (increased incidence of fracture), it is unclear whether medical or surgical intervention is the better treatment option in people with recurrent or refractory peptic ulcers.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of medical versus surgical treatment for people with recurrent or refractory peptic ulcer.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the specialised register of the Cochrane Upper GI and Pancreatic Diseases group, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, and trials registers until September 2015 to identify randomised trials and non-randomised studies, using search strategies. We also searched the references of included studies to identify further studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies comparing medical treatment with surgical treatment in people with refractory or recurrent peptic ulcer, irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status for inclusion in the review.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently identified trials and extracted data. We planned to calculate the risk ratio, mean difference, standardised mean difference, or hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals using both fixed-effect and random-effects models with Review Manager 5 based on intention-to-treat analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

We included only one non-randomised study published 30 years ago in the review. This study included 77 participants who had gastric ulcer and in whom medical therapy (histamine H2 receptor blockers, antacids, and diet) had failed after an average duration of treatment of 29 months. The authors do not state whether these were recurrent or refractory ulcers. It appears that the participants did not have previous complications such as bleeding or perforation. Of the 77 included participants, 37 participants continued to have medical therapy while 40 participants received surgical therapy (antrectomy with or without vagotomy; subtotal gastrectomy with or without vagotomy; vagotomy; pyloroplasty and suture of the ulcer; suture or closure of ulcer without vagotomy or excision of the ulcer; proximal gastric or parietal cell vagotomy alone; suture or closure of the ulcer with proximal gastric or parietal cell vagotomy). Whether to use medical or surgical treatment was determined by participant's or treating physician's preference.The study authors reported that two participants in the medical treatment group (2 out of 37; 5.4%) had gastric cancer, which was identified by repeated biopsy. They did not report the proportion of participants who had gastric cancer in the surgical treatment group. They also did not report the implications of the delayed diagnosis of gastric cancer in the medical treatment group. They did not report any other outcomes of interest for this review (that is health-related quality of life (using any validated scale), adverse events and serious adverse events, peptic ulcer bleeding, peptic ulcer perforation, abdominal pain, and long-term mortality).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found no studies that provide the relative benefits and harms of medical versus surgical treatment for recurrent or refractory peptic ulcers. Studies that evaluate the natural history of recurrent and refractory peptic ulcers are urgently required to determine whether randomised controlled trials comparing medical versus surgical management in patients with recurrent or refractory peptic ulcers or both are necessary. Such studies will also provide information for the design of such randomised controlled trials. A minimum follow-up of two to three years will allow the calculation of the incidence of complications and gastric cancer (in gastric ulcers only) in recurrent and refractory peptic ulcers. In addition to complications related to treatment and disease, health-related quality of life and loss of productivity should also be measured.

Late-onset hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: definition of diagnostic criteria and algorithm for the management

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) may be caused by various congenital and acquired conditions in children. The authors report 11 cases of GOO caused by muscular hypertrophy of the pylorus, which was proven histologically in 7. They describe this entity as "late-onset hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS)," define the diagnostic criteria of the disease, and produce an algorithm for its management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The medical records of patients with GOO treated from 1999 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with infantile HPS and GOO secondary to corrosive ingestion or neoplasm were not included. Age, sex, family history, presenting symptoms and signs, radiologic methods and findings, type of management, histopathologic features, and outcome were noted for each patient.

RESULTS

Eleven patients (4 male, 7 female) ranging in age from 2 to 8 years (mean, 3.6 years) were included in the study. The symptoms were nonbilious vomiting (n = 11), abdominal pain (n = 4), and weight loss (n = 2). Abdominal ultrasound (n = 6) and upper gastrointestinal contrast studies were obtained (n = 11). Gastroscopy revealed complete (n = 6) or partial (n = 5) obstruction of the pylorus. Balloon dilatation of the pylorus was performed in 5 cases and repeated in 3 cases. Conservative treatment was initially attempted in 11 patients. Two patients with chronic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori (n = 2) were treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, clarithromycin, and lansoprazole. A Billroth I procedure was performed in 7 cases. Hypertrophied pyloric muscle was noted in 7 patients and chronic gastritis in 2. The postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSION

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is rarely seen after infancy. Analysis of our results and review of the literature prompted us to redescribe this entity as "late-onset HPS" and define the diagnostic criteria. Late-onset HPS is probably an acquired disease of unknown etiology. The management of late-onset HPS has been summarized in an algorithm, which will also be useful in the treatment of GOO in children caused by etiologies other than classical infantile HPS.

Vagotomy and Gastrojejunostomy for Benign Gastric Outlet Obstruction

OBJECTIVE

Peptic-ulcer-induced gastric outlet obstruction is an indication for operative intervention. The advent of minimal access surgery allows the conventional open procedure to be performed via laparoscopy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1996 to 2000, 15 consecutive patients, aged 29 to 75 years, underwent laparoscopic truncal vagotomy and gastrojejunostomy for gastric outlet obstruction. Perioperative data and longterm followup results were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were no conversions or perioperative mortality. The mean operative time was 114 minutes. Patients required on average 1 dose of intramuscular pethidine for analgesia. Eleven patients were discharge by postoperative day 10; the remaining 4 patients had delayed gastric emptying which settled with conservative treatment. With an average followup period of 80 months, patients were classified as Visick I (n = 7), II (n = 5), III (n = 1), and IV (n = 2).

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic truncal vagotomy and gastrojejunostomy is technically feasible for patients with benign gastric outlet obstruction and is associated with satisfactory perioperative and longterm outcome.