Transoral incisionless fundoplication: initial experience in patients referred to an integrated academic institution

Transoral incisionless fundoplication is a new treatment for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. We present our initial experience with 10 patients undergoing this procedure with varying past surgical histories. All procedures were performed under general nasotracheal anesthesia. RAND-36 and Visual Analog Scale symptom scores were collected at pre and postoperative appointments for a mean of… Read more »

Transoral rotational esophagogastric fundoplication: technical, anatomical, and safety considerations

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) results primarily from the loss of an effective antireflux barrier, which forms a mechanical barrier against the retrograde movement of gastric content. Restoration of the incompetent antireflux barrier is possible by longitudinal and rotational advancement of the gastric fundus about the lower esophagus, creating an esophagogastric fundoplication. This article describes… Read more »

Functional Lumen Imaging Probe to Assess Geometric Changes in Esophagogastric Junction Following Endolumenal Fundoplication

 BACKGROUND: The functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) uses impedance planimetry to measure the geometry of a distensible organ. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FLIP as a method to determine structural changes at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) following transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) and compare these findings with the accepted methods of esophageal testing.… Read more »

Reflux parameters as modified by EsophyX or laparoscopic fundoplication in refractory GERD

BACKGROUND: EsophyX is a novel transoral incisionless fundoplication device developed to mimic surgical fundoplication. EsophyX fundoplication improves acid reflux parameters in proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-responsive GERD patients but its efficacy in refractory GERD has been scarcely studied. AIM: To assess reflux parameters before and after EsophyX or laparoscopic fundoplication and their relationship with symptoms in… Read more »

Transoral incisionless esophago-gastric fundoplication offers high patient satisfaction and relief of therapy-resistant typical and atypical symptoms of GERD in community practice

This retrospective study evaluated clinical outcomes in 124 consecutive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients who underwent transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) at 2 community hospitals. Out of 123 patients treated successfully, 110 gave consent (74% female, median age 60 [range 21-87] years, body mass index 27.5 [19.0-47.9]). At a median 7-month follow-up (range 5-17), typical and… Read more »

Clinical and pH-metric outcomes of transoral esophagogastric fundoplication for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

BACKGROUND: Transoral treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) using the EsophyX device enables creation of an esophagogastric fundoplication with potential for better control of reflux than gastrogastric techniques. Efficacy and safety of a rotational/longitudinal esophagogastric transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) was evaluated retrospectively using subjective and objective outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients on antisecretory medication and… Read more »

Laparoscopic antireflux surgery vs esomeprazole treatment for chronic GERD: the LOTUS randomized clinical trial

CONTEXT: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, relapsing disease with symptoms that have negative effects on daily life. Two treatment options are long-term medication or surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate optimized esomeprazole therapy vs standardized laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) in patients with GERD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The LOTUS trial, a 5-year exploratory randomized, open,… Read more »

Use of acid-suppressive drugs and risk of fracture: a meta-analysis of observational studies

PURPOSE: Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between the use of acid-suppressive drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H(2)RAs) and fracture risk. We investigated this association using meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception through December 2010 using common key… Read more »