| Abstrakt: |
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a widespread medical problem in the USA. Common characteristics of this condition are heartburn and regurgitation. Ten to 20% of patients have complicated GERD consisting of medical intractability, ulceration, stricture, bleeding, pulmonary symptoms, or Barrett's esophagus. Typical symptoms often can be controlled with medical therapy, but surgical treatment has been shown to be superior in patients with complicated disease. From March 1994 to September 1996, we performed laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in 68 patients who had complicated GERD: 92% of patients had either complete cure or dramatic improvement, and 98% of patients were happy with their decision to have surgery. No patients died, and only 2 patients had significant morbidity. These results compare favorably with larger reported series and may prove superior to results for the traditional open procedure. We conclude that laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is the surgical procedure of choice for complicated GERD. |
