DUMPING SYNDROME: A COMMON COMPLICATION OF GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
What is Dumping syndrome?
Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms that may develop if you've had surgery to remove all or part of your stomach (due to Gastric
Cancer), or more commonly, if your stomach has been surgically altered via Gastric Bypass.
Also called rapid gastric emptying, dumping syndrome occurs when the undigested contents of your stomach move too rapidly into your small
bowel.
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This condition occurs in 20-50% of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery
Symptoms of the disease can develop as soon as a few weeks after surgery or when a normal diet is resumed.
Signs and symptoms of the condition can be broken down into two categories, early dumping and late dumping depending on the time
they develop after eating.
Signs can have a disabling impact on a patient’s quality of life.
Dumping syndrome can be managed by diet however, in more severe cases, medications and other forms of treatment may be required.
Pathophysiology of Dumping Syndrome
LIMITED GASTRIC VOLUME
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Surgically altered gastric pouch causes rapid
gastric emptying into the small intestine
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Hyperosmolar nutrients in the small intestine
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EARLY DUMPING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Rapid absorption of Glucose
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LATE DUMPING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS