hour-glass stomach: a case report of a rare disease with small review of the literature

Hour-glass stomach, a rare anatomical variant characterized by a narrowed gastric segment, presents with significant clinical challenges, including postprandial pain, nausea, vomiting, and malnutrition. this report details two cases of hour-glass stomach and their surgical management. the first case involved a 58-year-old female presenting with persistent esophageal reflux and dyspepsia, initially treated with laparoscopicsleeve gastrectomy, subsequently revised to a roux-en-y gastrojejunostomy due to delayed gastric emptying. the second case was a 28-year-old male who presented with a hiatal hernia, abdominal pain, and vomiting, and who underwent a combined laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and roux-en-y gastric bypass in a single procedure. both patients were diagnosed using radiographic imaging with water-soluble contrast. the surgical approach, combining sleeve gastrectomy to address the anatomical narrowing and roux-en-y bypass to improve gastric emptying, resulted in symptom resolution and no recurrence at 2-month follow-up. this case series highlights the efficacy of this surgical strategy in managing hour-glass stomach and emphasizes theimportance of radiographic imaging for diagnosis and postoperative assessment. further studies with larger patient cohorts are needed to establish standardized treatment protocols and long-term outcomes.