No abstract

A case is reported of progressive inner layer slough of the stomach antrum resulting in free perforation following endoscopic injection hemostasis of ulcer bleeding using a total of 5 ml polidocanol. This rare complication necessitated gastric resection. Relevant etiologic factors favoring this type of tissue response to endoscopic treatment are discussed.

From January 1980 until December 1991, all complying patients suffering from early uncomplicated postoperative intestinal obstruction were managed according to a stepwise treatment protocol including intestinal tube decompression as second echelon attempt. The population undergoing intestinal tube decompression comprised 34 patients. In 20, tube decompression was successful, whereas in 14 this procedure failed to relieve obstruction and relaparotomy had to be carried out. Retrospective data analysis disclosed the dominant role of suction system malfunction in this study, hypothetically reducing the incidence of truly therapy-resistant adhesions to approximately 12%. Thus, suction system supervision and proposed biomedical engineering research promise future success rates of close to 90%.