Purpose: To help determine the etiology and most appropriate treatment regimen for hypergastrinemia, dysuria-hematuria and metabolic alkalosis following augmentation gastrocystoplasty.
Materials and methods: Two patients who presented with refractory metabolic alkalosis (1 with dysuria-hematuria) underwent extensive laboratory evaluation, complete upper gastrointestinal evaluation and intravesical pH probe placement.
Results: Both patients eventually required high dose oral potassium chloride supplementation. Bladder mucosal pH was not reflected by buffered urinary pH. Both patients demonstrated significant gastroesophageal reflux and diminished overall gastric acid output.
Conclusions: Outpatient maintenance on potassium chloride supplementation may be warranted in select patients and appears to be preferable to histamine blockade or omeprazole. Postoperative screening esophagogastroscopy and an additional surgical maneuver might be indicated to prevent possible adverse sequelae of reflux esophagitis. Gastrocystoplasty may be an inappropriate operation in children with renal insufficiency who have not had metabolic acidosis.