Volvulus of the stomach

Gastric volvulus is a rare but very life-threatening condition that can occur at any age. It is characterized by the fact that the stomach takes a position opposite to that in which it should be according to the anatomy of the human body, and begins to rotate around its axis. If treatment is not taken quickly, it can lead to serious consequences such as damage to abdominal organs, internal bleeding and even death.

Causes of gastric volvulus The causes of the phenomenon in which the stomach rotates include certain factors that disrupt the anatomical position of the organ: 1- Bend of the colon; 2 - Unstable position of the diaphragm; 3 - Significant stretching of the abdominal wall (for example, during pregnancy); 4 - Tension of the abdominal muscles due to diseases (distensible peritonitis); 5- Conservative treatment of gastrointestinal diseases; 6- Crohn's disease. Signs of gastric volvulus may be nonspecific and vary depending on the causes of the pathology. The clinical picture is quite clear and becomes obvious already in the very early stages of the disease. In this case, the first manifestation may be discomfort and a feeling as if something is bothering the stomach. Because of this, a person feels the urge to go and drink water, eat food or medicine, such as an adsorbent. At this stage, the patient experiences belching, a feeling of severe heaviness in the epigastric region, pain accompanied by spasm, and sometimes facial redness and swelling. In addition, volvulus causes tachycardia, a tendency to anemia and depression. Subsequently, vomiting is observed, in which the vomit remains unchanged for a long time. They consist of undigested food, gastric juice and mucus. The next symptom of gastric torsion is tension. This stage progresses to the third, when the abdomen becomes swollen and very tense in the epigastric region. Body temperature also increases significantly. This causes collapse and significantly worsens health. As a result, the patient is in serious or even extremely serious condition. Volvulus is accompanied by a simultaneous disruption of intestinal functionality, which is expressed in stool disturbances (diarrhea, constipation) and dehydration, which develops against the background of severe dehydration of the body. In addition, many patients experience inflammation of the pancreas, causing thirst and dry mouth.