Strictures after gastric surgery: treatment with fluoroscopically guided balloon dilatation

Stricture formation resulting in impedance of gastric emptying is a relatively common complication after gastric surgery that involves anastomosis creation or pyloroplasty. Treatment of the stenosis with fluoroscopically guided balloon dilatation avoids further surgery. Accordingly, we report our experience with 32 dilating procedures in 24 consecutive patients who had the postoperative complication of obstruction at a surgically created gastric outlet.

Out of our series of approximately 650 fluoroscopically guided balloon dilatations, 32 procedures were performed on 24 patients with anastomotic strictures or pyloric narrowing after gastric surgery (vertical banded gastroplasty or gastric bypass surgery [n = 15], partial esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy and pyloroplasty [n = 6], and partial gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy [n = 3]). The group included 13 men and 11 women ranging from 32 to 79 years old (mean, 51 years). Diameters of the balloons chosen ranged from 10 to 20 mm, depending on the size of the surgically created anastomosis or pyloroplasty. Indications for balloon dilatation were clinical and radiographic evidence of gastric outlet obstruction. The procedures were done between 13 days and 10 years (mean, 14 months) after gastric surgery. The result of each procedure was assessed by evaluating clinical outcome (relief or recurrence of symptoms) during the follow-up period of 2 days to 36 months (mean, 8 months) after the procedure.

In 17 of the 24 patients, the obstructive symptoms were treated successfully with a single dilatation procedure, and symptoms did not recur during follow-up ranging from 1 to 36 months (mean, 11 months). In the other seven patients, the procedure was considered unsuccessful because the patients experienced recurrent obstruction within 2 days to 13 weeks (mean, 3 weeks) after the initial procedure. In one of these, symptoms were relieved by a second procedure. Repeat dilatations in the other six patients were unsuccessful, and all six eventually required surgical revision for definitive treatment. No complicating perforations were noted as a result of dilatation.

Our experience shows that fluoroscopically guided balloon dilatation is a simple and safe technique for treating obstructive symptoms caused by strictures occurring after gastric surgery. In the majority of patients, symptoms are relieved with a single balloon dilatation, eliminating the need for further surgery. However, patients whose obstructive symptoms recur after the initial balloon dilatation procedure are less likely to benefit from further dilatations and usually require surgery.