Delayed gastric outlet obstruction can be a major problem if an esophageal bypass has been performed. It usually presents as dilatation of the conduit [27]. The condition should not be mistaken for cologastric stenosis. Diagnosis can be confirmed by endoscopy, and the stricture can be treated by either a distal gastric resection or a gastrojejunostomy distal to the cologastric anastomosis. The problem is more complex if delayed gastric outlet obstruction takes place after a gastric pull-up for esophageal bypass after corrosive injury. In such cases, gastric resection or gastroenterostomy is seldom feasible, and the surgeon may have to resort to a jejunal interposition. Pyloroplasty may be possible in rare instances.
The mortality and morbidity from acute corrosive gastric injuries is high and dependent on the severity of initial damage caused by the corrosive agent, with a significant proportion of patients succumbing to their injuries either before reaching tertiary care or soon thereafter. In contrast, the mortality and morbidity of chronic gastric corrosive injuries can be significantly reduced by adequate preoperative preparation and a planned protocol of approach dependent on the type of injury. The risk of malignancy is low and should not influence the type of surgical intervention. In our center the morbidity was negligible, and the mortality was under 1% for these patients. The long-term result, in terms of symptom relief following surgical correction of a chronic gastric injury, is very good. In fact, the major determinant of the quality of life and performance status of a patient with corrosive ingestion is the nature and extent of the esophageal and pharyngeal injury.