Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-07
MANS STOMACH REMOVED
A TRIUMPH OF SURGICAL SKILL IN
A NEW YORK HOSPITAL.
Organ Afterward Replaced and the
Patient Is Said to BE
Doing Well.


Lewis y. MChpDTd, d CItTh III tAO oStNS-
rial department of the New York Life In
surance Company, is in st. Luke's Hospital
recovering from an operation, one of the
rarest known to modern science, performed
on him on February % by a number of
eminent surgeons.
The operation is known as gastro-enter-
ostomy and stripped of technicalities. con-
sists of removing the patients stomach,
cutting away the pyloris and several malig-
nant growths in its vicinity, and restoring
the stomach to its former place in Mr.. Nc
Kennas internal economy, where 1t is ex-
pected it will in time be in condition to
perform its normal functions.
Mr.. McKenna was resting easy last night,
and the physicians say that if the improve
ment continues as at present the patient
will be up and around the ward in week,
after having undergone an experience that
few living persons can boast Of
Mr.. Mckenna, who is a brother OF the
Rev. Father McKenna of Brooklyn, COM
planned some months ago of severe pains
in his stomach. He was troubled with in
somnia and had been heavily dosed with
narcotics to induce sleep. Altogether his
symptoms suggested severe indigestion, and
he was sent to Liberty, Pa, for rest and
recuperation. He continued to get worse,
and was brought back here for eXamina-
ton.
A tube inserted through the oesophagus
into the stomach showed a total disappear
ance of all acids and a destruction OF the
pepsin. while all the ferments of the stom-
a"h were wanting. making digestion tmpoS-
sible. Food taken into the stomach was
taken away seventeen hours later and
there no evidence of absorption or as
similat ton, the food being in practically the
same condition when taken into the
stomach This condition called for an eX-
animation of the abdominal wall, and the
diagnostic finger of the physician, trained
for the purpose, disclosed tumor as big as
hon m m.
like the usual growth of its kind. and a
systematic degeneration of the pancras.
The patient was thereupon placed in St.
Luke's and prepared for the operation the
most perfect and approved systems of an
tiseptics being used a vertical incision
about five inches lopg was made in the alb
domen and through the growth, the ex-
posed pyloriS showing a tumor outside of
the stomach. An incision was then made in
the stomach and inside was found a can
cerors growth the size of a large orange.
with numerous surrounding nodules.
The point where the inciSion was made
at the pyloris-is the exit of the stomach
into the intestines the other opening being
the entrance through the oesophagus. The
stomach was then cut away from the In
testines and the organ lifted completely out
of its place and laid on a cushion of anti
septic cloths placed on the patients chest.
Then the doctors, acting quickly, but sure
ly. cut away the tumor, and cut off the
pyloris, the other malignant growths being
also thoroughly cut away. The stomach
was then put back in it's accustomed place,
having been Joined to the intestines with
silk sCtures.
But little blood was apparent throughout
the whole opera ton, which lasted one hour
and fifteen minutes. The patient rallied at
once. end it was seen that the operation
was complete success.
One part of the operation recalls a some
what similar one that was performed some
years ago on Col Michael c. Murphy, now
commissioner of police of this city. A tube
was inserted in Mr.. Mckenna's abdomen
leading into the intestineS and through
this he will be fed for some time, the stom-
ach being given complete rest. This tube
Is closed with what is known to surgery as
Murphy button" called from having
been invented to suit Mr.. Murphys case at
that time In Mr.. Murphy's case, however,
the trouble lay in an obstruction in the
into the stomach through the mouth but
had to be introduced into the stomach
through the tube, which, when not in use
is closed with the button named for him.
The operation of gastro-enterostomy, or
removal of the pyloris. was first suggested
by Bilroth in 1877. Gussenbauer and V
Winiwater, eminent German surgeons
made experiments along these lines with
the lower animals, and in 1879 Pean re-
moved the pyloris from woman who lived
five days after the operation. In 1880 Pyd-
ygier repeated the operation, and his pa
tent died in a few hours. In 1880 Bilroth
performed the first successful operation on
woman of forty-three years. The recov-
cry was uninterrupted, and the patient died
four months later of cancerous peritonitis
Since that time there have been a few other
successful operations, the success being
largely due to improved antiseptic methods