Tnhe consequences of an inadvertent gastroileostomy are discouraging to all concerned. Although the wasting and physical deterioration which such patients usually experience are impressive, fortunately the condition can be corrected surgically and seldom has proved fatal. However, because death is the inevitable result of gastroileostomy if the presence of the stoma goes unrecognized and because the clinical picture resulting from this surgical error at times may be atypical, it is well for all physicians to be acquainted not only with the usual clinical manifestations but also with the clinical variants.
As nearly as can be determined, surgical correction of a gastroileal anastomosis was first carried out at the Mayo Clinic in 1912 by Judd,* and repair in another case was performed only seven weeks later by W. J. Mayo (Case 2 reported by Smith and Rivers). Since that time repairs have been done in 30 additional cases at the clinic,