DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i10.003

Pages: 3679-3683

By examining our cases, we aimed to investigate the treatment modalities and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatment modalities, especially of the oral cola administration in our patients with gastrointestinal bezoars in the first approach. Bezoars are indigestible foreign bodies that form masses in the gastrointestinal lumen and can be treated surgically, endoscopically, or pharmacologically. Bezoars are classified into four major types according to their composition: trichobezoars, phytobezoars, pharmacobezoars, and lactobezoars. The incidence of gastrointestinal bezoars is about 0.4% and they are a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. In In this study, we investigated 39 consecutive cases of patients with gastrointestinal bezoars. Data were obtained by retrospective review of the medical records of patients diagnosed with, and treated for, gastrointestinal bezoars who were followed up in the Department of General Surgery from October 2007 to March 2018. A total of 39 patients were included in the study; 26 of whom underwent surgery. The mean age of the patients was 58.6 ± 14 years, and their initial complaints were intestinal obstruction and dyspepsia. The mean macroscopic diameter of the gastrointestinal bezoars was 7.5 ± 1.8 cm. Many bezoars can be treated endoscopically or medically. A bezoar recalcitrant to medical or endoscopic treatments should be removed surgically. Treatment delay can lead to serious complications; therefore, if medical treatment fails, surgery should be performed immediately.