Gastric Outlet Obstruction

Gastric outlet obstruction (often abbreviated as GOO) is a medical condition where there is an obstruction at the level of the pylorus, which is the outlet of the stomach. Individuals with gastric outlet obstruction will often have recurrent vomiting of food that has accumulated in the stomach, but which cannot pass into the small intestine due to the obstruction. The stomach often dilates to accommodate food intake and secretions. Causes of gastric outlet obstruction include both benign causes (such as peptic ulcer disease affecting the area around the pylorus), as well as malignant causes, such as gastric cancer. Treatment of the condition depends upon the underlying cause; it can involve endoscopic therapies (such as dilation of the obstruction with balloons or the placement of self expandable metallic stents), other medical therapies, or surgery to resolve the obstruction.