A history of the surgical correction of pyloric stenosis.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is a complex disorder with an incidence from 4 to 5 per 1000 live births with a strongly male predilection. The natural history of this initially fatal condition with nearly 100% mortality has evolved to a disease with a good prognosis. Pyloromyotomy by Ramstedt was first described 110 years ago and still remains the standard of surgical treatment for patients with IHPS. The laparoscopic approach is becoming more common and is the preferred method of treatment now in many centres.