Dumping syndrome following Nissen's fundoplication: a cause for refusal to feed

Abstract

Two cases of infantile dumping syndrome which developed following Nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux are described. Both infants were fed postoperatively via a gastrostomy and showed the typical clinical picture of dumping with failure to thrive, intermittent diarrhea, lethargy and pallor postprandially. Several glucose tolerance tests were highly pathological with marked hyperglycemia immediately after a gastrostomy meal followed by hypoglycemia two hours later. In one case HbA1c was significantly elevated which is thought to be an expression of recurrent hyperglycemia. In both infants the first and most impressive clinical sign was absolute refusal or oral feeds. Normal oral food intake was slowly re-established after normalization of blood glucose homeostasis.