Intermediate follow-up of laparoscopic antireflux surgery.
BACKGROUND
Open antireflux surgery is an established long-term treatment for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease. Short-term results of laparoscopic antireflux surgery are excellent, but long-term follow-up is not yet available.


METHODS
Twenty-four-hour ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring and symptom scores were collected prior to laparoscopic antireflux surgery and 6 weeks postoperatively. These studies were repeated in an unselected cohort of patients 1 to 3 years after operation.


RESULTS
One hundred patients who were > 1 year from surgery at the time of the present study volunteered for intermediate follow-up symptom assessment, and 35 also completed repeat 24-hour monitoring. The median interval after surgery among these volunteers was 17 months. Thirty-three (94%) had a normal pH study, which correlated with improvements in symptom scores. One patient had an abnormal pH study but no reflux symptoms, and 1 patient with an abnormal study developed recurrent symptoms of reflux after an episode of vomiting 11 months postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
The intermediate-term results of laparoscopic fundoplication suggest that long-term efficacy of this operation will be equivalent to open fundoplication.
Trus
T L
TL
Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
Laycock
W S
WS
Branum
G
G
Waring
J P
JP
Mauren
S
S
Hunter
J G
JG
D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018662:Fundoplication; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome