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Updated: May 13, 2026

Endoscopic Vacuum Therapy for the Treatment of Anastomotic Leakage after Total Gastrectomy with Esophagojejunostomy
Published on: August 22, 2025
[Use of Gastrografin(®) in the management of adhesion intestinal obstruction]
Laura Mora López1, Xavier Serra-Aracil, Heura Llaquet Bayo
1Servicio de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo, Corporació Sanitària i Universitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, España. Lmora@tauli.cat
Background:
Adhesions are the most important cause of intestinal obstruction. Approximately 25% of surgical admissions for acute abdominal conditions are due to intestinal obstruction. Better diagnostic and treatment methods of intestinal obstruction could potentially reduce mortality rate to 5-10%. Gastrografin(®) could contribute to this achieve this.
Aim:
To present a protocol to treat adhesion intestinal obstruction with Gastrografin(®) that is safe, and allows shorter hospital stays and shorter time between admission and surgery.
Material And Methods:
All patients with adhesion intestinal obstruction without symptoms of strangulation were treated with Gastrografin(®), intravenous fluids and nasogastric tube. Those in whom contrast reach the colon in 8, 12 or 24hours were considered to have partial obstruction, and were fed orally. If Gastrografin(®) failed in the following 24hours, a laparotomy was performed.
Results:
Out of a total of 211 episodes (164 patients), 170 episodes received contrast and in 142 cases Gastrografin(®) reached the colon (104 episodes at 8h, 11 at 12h, and 27 at 24h). A laparotomy was required in 28 patients because of failed treatment, and in another 5 for other causes.
Conclusions:
A management protocol for adhesion intestinal obstruction with Gastrografin(®) is safe, reduces morbidity and mortality, and leads to a shorter hospital stay.
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