Pyloric Stenosis

 Pyloric stenosis refers to a narrowing of the passage between the stomach and the small intestine. The condition, which affects infants during the first several weeks of life, can be corrected effectively with surgery. Pyloric stenosis can be cured with a surgical procedure called a pyloromyotomy. In this operation, the surgeon makes an incision in the baby's abdomen. Then a small cut is made in the thickened muscle of the pylorus and it is spread apart. In this manner, the passage can be widened without removing any tissue.

The main symptom is vomiting after feedings. Other symptoms include increased appetite, weight loss, infrequent bowel movements, belching, and diarrhoea. Due to dehydration, the infant may also have fewer wet diapers.Statistical analysis on pyloric stenosis in Israel results as seventy patients underwent pyloromyotomy over the 10 year period. Overall, 81% of patients were male infants and the mean age at diagnosis was 40 days. The mean duration of symptoms was 8 days. A firstborn child was noted in 43% of the cases. The classical symptom of projectile vomiting was absent in one-third of the patients, a pyloric tumor was not palpated in one-half of the cases, bicarbonate was higher than 28 mEq/L in 20%, and a pH of above 7.45 was present in 25% of patients.