Gastroptosis

Gastroptosis is caused by insufficient suspensory force of the diaphragm, relaxation of the ligaments supporting the internal organs, or decreased intra-abdominal pressure and relaxation of the abdominal muscles, resulting in the greater curvature of the stomach reaching the pelvic cavity when standing, and the lowest point of the lesser curvature arc descending below the iliac crest line. It is often accompanied by changes in the position of the duodenal bulb. In normal individuals, the stomach is located in the left upper abdominal cavity, and the lowest point when upright should not exceed two fingerbreadths below the umbilicus; its position is relatively fixed, which plays a certain role in maintaining normal gastric function. Gastroptosis is defined as the stomach descending to a certain position. If gastroptosis occurs, patients with mild gastroptosis generally have no symptoms and live as usual, but for patients with moderate or severe gastroptosis, it may be a very painful condition. Patients with moderate or above severity will experience poor gastrointestinal motility, degraded digestive function, and may develop symptoms such as indigestion. Various issues such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting may also occur, especially after eating, particularly when overeating, which can lead to various severe symptoms. For the management of gastroptosis, active treatment should be coordinated. Traditional Chinese medicine options such as acupuncture and qigong, combined with herbal medicine, or Western medicine ATP therapy may be chosen. When necessary, a gastric support belt should be placed to help reduce pressure on the stomach, strengthen abdominal muscle exercises, and enhance resilience. Clinical diagnosis is mainly based on X-ray, barium meal fluoroscopy, and B-ultrasound examination, which can confirm the diagnosis. When diagnosing gastroptosis, attention should be paid to distinguishing it from acute gastric dilatation and gastric retention.