Acute Roux Stasis Syndrome and Effective Treatment with Octreotide

Acute Roux Stasis Syndrome (ARSS) is a rare complication after long term surgery that can have life threatening consequences. In this case, the patient was a 58 year-old man who after birth underwent through a distal gastrectomy with Roux en Y - Gastrojejunostomy reconstruction for early born gastric atresia. He presented with signs of severe sepsis and respiratory failure due to aspiration pneumonia. The patient was diagnosed of ARSS no suitable for surgery due to haemodynamic instability. After unsuccessful feeding with nasojejunal enteral nutrition and still persisting bloating and vomiting due to the ARSS, use of compassionate somatostatin analogue (octreotide) was considered, which has been reported as an effective therapy for other complications of long term surgical procedures. Gastric secretions were monitored before and during this treatment. Octreotide therapy resulted in significant reduction of gastric secretions allowing the improvement of the patient. Octreotide could be considered as a conservative management for these patients.