| Gastric outlet obstruction | |
|---|---|
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| X-ray of abdomen of a person with gastric outlet obstruction taken while on their side. There is a prominent gastric air bubble, gastric air-fluid level, and a dilated stomach with particulate matter within it. | |
| Specialty | General surgery, gastroenterology |
Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a medical condition where there is an obstruction at the level of the pylorus, which is the outlet of the stomach. Individuals with gastric outlet obstruction will often have recurrent vomiting of food that has accumulated in the stomach, but which cannot pass into the small intestine due to the obstruction. The stomach often dilates to accommodate food intake and secretions. Causes of gastric outlet obstruction include both benign causes, such as peptic ulcer disease affecting the area around the pylorus, and malignant causes, such as gastric cancer.
Causation related to ulcers may involve severe pain which the patient may interpret as a heart condition or attack.[1]
Treatment of the condition depends upon the underlying cause; it can involve antibiotic treatment when Helicobacter pylori is related to an ulcer,[1] endoscopic therapies (such as dilation of the obstruction with balloons or the placement of self-expandable metallic stents), other medical therapies, or surgery to resolve the obstruction.