Treatment of Reluctant Postvagotomy Stoma With Bethanechol

Abstract

A method of treating functional gastric retention following partial gastrectomy and vagotomy with subcutaneously administered bethanechol is presented. Five of six patients with this complication were successfully treated with bethanechol. The sixth patient had mechanical obstruction of the gastroduodenal stoma and did not respond to bethanechol; revision of the anastomosis effected a cure. No significant complications were encountered from this therapeutic regimen.