Phytobezoars--an overlooked cause of small bowel obstruction following vagotomy and drainage operations for duodenal ulcer.

Phytobezoar impaction is an important cause of small bowel obstruction in patients who have had previous vagotomy and drainage procedures for duodenal ulcer. Most cases present with typical symptoms and signs of small bowel obstruction, but in some there are no definite radiological signs of bowel obstruction on plain X-ray. In these the phytobezoar is often located by barium studies. Operation is required in the majority of cases and the phytobezoar milked into the large bowel or removed at enterotomy. Before laparotomy is performed, it is essential to endoscope these patients to avoid overlooking gastric phytobezoars which are easily removed via a gastrotomy at the time of the laparotomy. The incidence of phytobezoar obstruction will be reduced by the giving of simple dietary advice and by employing highly selective vagotomy whenever possible in the surgery of duodenal ulcer.