Pyloric Stenosis

Pyloric Stenosis is a rare condition that develops in newborns. About one in every 250 babies is affected. Patients with pyloric stenosis present with projectile vomiting in which they are still hungry afterwards. The infant will start showing signs of weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition. When my son had pyloric stenosis, he had some opposite symptoms that are unusual for infants. He had projectile vomiting, weight gain, dehydration and mild malnutrition. He was 12 weeks old when we got the diagnosis. They ran an ultrasound test for official confirmation. After confirmation they admitted him to the surgical unit immediately. He was so dehydrated that they had trouble getting an IV started on him. They finally took him to surgery the next morning. The surgery normally takes about 45 minutes to an hour and his surgery took about 2 hours. The surgeon said that my son was the biggest baby, oldest baby and the worst case that he had ever seen. My son is now 8 years old and has a lot of medical problems due to the severity of his pyloric stenosis.

While the cause of pyloric stenosis is unknown, there are steps to figuring out if an infant has pyloric stenosis or if it is another condition. There are a few tests that can be done to determine if a patient has pyloric stenosis. An electrolyte panel would be done to estimate the state of dehydration. Also, a urinalysis would be done to determine the patients’ pH level. A radiography test on the stomach can help determine the condition along with an upper GI test.
There is a treatment for pyloric stenosis. The main treatment for pyloric stenosis is a surgery called pyloromyotomy. It is important to get the patient hydrated and nourished as well as possible before taking them into surgery. The medical staff would give the patients fluids and electrolytes to get them rehydrated. Once the patient is hydrated and their electrolytes are within normal range they can precede