Management of congenital microgastria with a jejunal reservoir pouch

Abstract

A 3-mo-old female presented with growth retardation, vomiting, reflux esophagitis, recurrent aspiration pneumonias, and was found to have megaesophagus and microgastria. After the failure of conservative therapy a double-lumen jejunal (Hunt-Lawrence) pouch with distal Roux-en-Y anastomosis was anastomosed to the stomach to increase the gastric reservoir. One year later, there has been progressive weight gain, the megaesophagus and gastroesophageal reflux have lessened significantly, pneumonia has not recurred, and the tracheobronchitis and esophagitis have resolved. This suggests that the gastroesophageal reflux and megaesophagus were due to an inadequate reservoir with a secondary gastric overflow as the esophagus dilated to enlarge the reservoir capacity of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Utilization of a jejunal pouch increased the size of the gastric reservoir, allowed resolution of the secondary esophageal changes, and permitted normal growth to proceed.