title: Does Barrett's esophagus impact outcome after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was undertaken to compare patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with or without Barrett's esophagus for severity and frequency of symptoms and their response to antireflux surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients with GERD and Barrett's esophagus and 93 concurrent patients with GERD alone, all of whom underwent laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, were compared by using symptom scores graded by a Likert scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before fundoplication, patients with Barrett's esophagus had higher DeMeester scores. Symptom scores were not different for patients with versus without Barrett's esophagus before or after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Before and after fundoplication, patients with Barrett's esophagus, despite more severe reflux, have symptoms nearly identical in frequency and severity when compared with patients with GERD alone. Regardless of presence of Barrett's, all improve dramatically with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Barrett's esophagus does not impact presentation before or outcome after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disorders Center, Tampa General Hospital and the Department of Surgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine, PO Box 1289, Room F145, Tampa, FL 33601, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cowgill
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Saadi
authors.forename: Desiree
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Villadolid
authors.forename: Emmanuel E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Zervos
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rosemurgy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D018662:Fundoplication / Q000379:methods; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome