Has Coca-Cola treatment become the first-line therapy for gastric bezoars, both in general and specifically for western countries?

Abstract

Phytobezoars is a rare disease and less common in Western countries. The stomach is the primary site for these formations, and endoscopic treatment involving fragmentation and extraction has traditionally been the most effective approach. However, medical treatments using enzymatic and chemical agents, such as cellulase and Coca-Cola, aimed at dissolving the bezoars, have also been utilized, showing varying degrees of resolution success. Notably, the oral dissolution treatment with Coca-Cola has emerged as a promising, simpler, and more cost-effective method. The study by Liu et al represents an important step in clinical research on this topic, despite some limitations that need addressing for a more comprehensive understanding of its findings. Key considerations for future research include sample size calculation, endoscopic procedure details, outpatient vs. inpatient treatment, and detailed cost calculations. The study's exclusions, such as patients with upper gastric surgery, phytobezoars older than 14 d, and cases of gastroparesis, limit its applicability to broader populations, especially in Western countries. Given the promising outcomes of the Coca-Cola treatment, it's advocated as a first-line therapy for phytobezoars. Nonetheless, further research is essential to overcome these limitations. However special situations such as perforation or small bowel obstruction will require surgical treatment.