Advances in the endoscopic management of gastric outflow disorders

Disorders of gastric outflow and outlet obstruction include a variety of benign and malignant disorders such as peptic strictures, foreign bodies, gastroparesis, and cancers of the stomach, duodenum, and pancreas. Historically, a majority of patients presenting with gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) were to the result of peptic ulcers and surgical management of peptic ulcer complications was a mainstay of general surgical training. Invasive surgery is being performed less frequently today due to realization of the role of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease and the introduction of novel endoscopic techniques for management of GOO.

For malignant GOO, the introduction of lumen-apposing metal stents have opened the door for the development and performance of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastric bypass procedures. For benign GOO, including gastroparesis and pyloric stenosis, endoscopic myotomy shows promise.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastric bypass, per-oral endoscopic myotomy, and other novel techniques in the endoscopic management of GOO, are discussed in this review.