A Wangensteen suction apparatus is a modified siphon that maintains constant negative pressure. Used on a duodenal tube, it relieves gastric and intestinal distention caused by the retention of fluid. It was first created by Dr. Owen H. Wangensteen (1898–1981), the Chief of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. His novel approach to the most important cause of death during gastrointestinal surgery has since been credited with saving more than one hundred thousand lives.
In the episode "Good Bye, Radar" of the television series M*A*S*H, a makeshift Wangensteen suction is created by Colonel Potter using odds and ends.
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Wangensteen suction Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA