Complications of Gastric Freezing

Abstract

GASTRIC FREEZING is not an innocuous procedure. Like any operation it is subject to errors in judgment and technique, and may be attended with side effects and complications. This is particularly true when the method is utilized in poorrisk patients by overzealous or inexperienced personnel. The dearth of reactions and sequelae resulting from gastric freezing, reported by Wangensteen and his associates,^1-6is a tribute to their careful laboratory and clinical application of the method. It is advisable, therefore, that physicians who employ this form of therapy be properly trained by competent preceptors, and that they and the medical profession in general realize that the procedure is still in its formative state. The following case study describes the effect of freezing on organs and tissues adjacent to the bed of a gastric ulcer. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> A 32-year-old white female was transferred to this hospital on July 4, 1962,