OBJECTIVE: The authors report their experience about the treatment of two cases of gastric bezoar, treated in curative mode, the first endoscopically and the second with surgical intervention. SETTING: Operative Unit of General and Thoracic Surgery, Department of General and Emergency Surgery, Organ Transplantation, Policlinico, University of Palermo. INTERVENTION: The patients were submitted to curative treatment, one with endoscopic treatment (mechanical fragmentation of phytobezoar and fragments extraction via-overtube), the second with surgical gastrotomy (stamp trichobezoar). There were no procedure-related complications. RESULTS: The two patients were curative and radically treated. Negative 2 years follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: There is no standardized method for the treatment of gastric bezoars. Endoscopic removal of gastric bezoars after fragmentation and using overtube is effective and safe. Surgical intervention, equally safe, is reserved to huge, stamp, impacted or complicated bezoars.
OBJECTIVE: The authors report their experience about the treatment of two cases of gastric bezoar, treated in curative mode, the first endoscopically and the second with surgical intervention. SETTING: Operative Unit of General and Thoracic Surgery, Department of General and Emergency Surgery, Organ Transplantation, Policlinico, University of Palermo. INTERVENTION: The patients were submitted to curative treatment, one with endoscopic treatment (mechanical fragmentation of phytobezoar and fragments extraction via-overtube), the second with surgical gastrotomy (stamp trichobezoar). There were no procedure-related complications. RESULTS: The two patients were curative and radically treated. Negative 2 years follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: There is no standardized method for the treatment of gastric bezoars. Endoscopic removal of gastric bezoars after fragmentation and using overtube is effective and safe. Surgical intervention, equally safe, is reserved to huge, stamp, impacted or complicated bezoars.