[Long-term results following conservative and surgical treatment of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis].

From 1960 to 1970, 314 children (male:female = 3.9:1) were treated in our hospital for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) (group 1 operatively: n = 216; group 2 conservatively: n = 98). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether patients with IHPS do frequently have complaints in the upper gastrointestinal tract at long term.

RESULTS

1. Using the patients' files, a retrospective analysis of the familiar predisposition, symptoms, course of treatment and duration of ward treatment was made. Mortality due to operation was 0%, the postoperative rate of complications was low. 2. 17-27 years after treatment, the patients were questioned as to their subsequent health. 175 returned questionnaires able to be evaluated. According to these, only few of these patients had the symptoms of delayed gastric emptying (frequent vomiting, nausea). The velocity of gastric emptying has been measured for 53 patients for both solids and fluids (2.2 MBq 99mTc Sn colloid in a standard solid meal or in 300 ml of apple juice). There was no significant difference between the two groups, and the results were comparable to normal controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical therapy is superior to the conservative one, since the patient feels better sooner, complications are seldom and correspond with the long-term results of conservative therapy.