An unusually high incidence of gastrointestinal obstruction by persimmon bezoars in Israeli patients after ulcer surgery.

Seventy-seven patients presented with gastrointestinal obstruction due to phytobezoars during a 5-mo period. Most of the patients (88.3%) had a history of persimmon ingestion, and all had previous surgery for ulcer disease. Seventy-one patients were treated surgically; 67 because of intestinal obstruction and 4 for extraction of gastric phytobezoars. Five patients were reoperated once and 1 patient twice because of retained phytobezoars. Six patients were treated conservatively. Seventy-five patients recovered after surgical or conservative therapy, and 2 patients died. Patients who have undergone gastric surgery should be warned about the risk of persimmon ingestion.