The dumping syndrome is a symptom complex which is frequently seen following gastric resection. It is characterized by a sensation of fullness or churning in the epigastrium, associated with, or followed by, sweating, tachycardia, weakness, syncope, often a sensation of warmth, occasionally explosive diarrhea, and consistently improved by lying down. It may be seen following any gastric operation in which the pyloric sphincter mechanism is destroyed, and it is usually seen in its severest form following total gastrectomy. However, it is sufficiently frequent after subtotal resections to constitute a serious problem.
The dumping syndrome must be clearly differentiated from other types of dysfunction that may follow gastric resection. One of these is spontaneous hypoglycemia, which is physiological in nature and is characterized by the fact that it occurs 1½ to 2 hours after meals and is relieved by the ingestion of sugar, whereas dumping symptoms consistently have their onset within