Pediatric Gastric Volvulus: Is Laparoscopic Hill-Snow-Modified Gastropexy the Effective Long-Term Minimally Invasive Solution?

Gastric volvulus (GV) is a rare and life-threatening condition if not promptly diagnosed and treated. Extreme rotation can cause obstruction cutting off blood supply to stomach and distal organs, leading to ischemia and necrosis. It is a clinically significant cause of acute/recurrent abdominal pain and chronic vomiting in children. GV can be classified into the following: primary, secondary, organoaxial, mesenteroaxial, or combined, acute, or chronic. Six neonates (5 males-1 female) were admitted to our department for recurrent postprandial vomiting associated with paleness, hyporeactivity, transitory abdominal distension, failure to thrive, and respiratory infections (only-1). Median age: 6 months (range 2-9 months). Patients metabolic and neurological evaluations were normal. A barium-swallow-study (upper gastrointestinal [UGI]) allowed definitive diagnosis. UGI and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) showed a gastric abnormal dilatation (gastric fundus), hiatal hernia (HH) in 5 patients, a large/small curvature discrepancy in 3 patients. Four were chronic-organoaxial-GV, 2 chronic-mesenteroaxial-GV. All underwent Laparoscopic-Hill-Snow-gastropexy (LHSG) with HH correction. No intraoperative/postoperative complications were recorded. Refeeding started in first postoperative day. Average hospital stay: 6-days. At long-term follow-up, all patients were symptoms free (able to vomit/burp); 2 referred occasionally epigastric pain sometimes with vomit. At 10-12 years follow-up UGI and EGDS confirmed correct gastric position revealing gastroduedenitis. GV is a rare clinical entity in children considering etiology and management with an important morbidity and mortality rate. Its diagnosis could be missed simply. Vomiting or HH on imaging studies should suggest GV regardless patient's stable appearance. Chronic GV can manifest with atypical chest, abdominal, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment reduce the risk of developing acute form. LHSG is a long-term effective and safe solution with a very low complication rate, and no symptoms correlated to Nissen procedure.