The stapled, uncut gastroplasty for hiatal hernia: 24 years' follow-up

A simple, tension-free, in situ gastroplasty was devised in the late 1960s and early 1970s to avoid the recurrences and complications of the Collis and Nissen hiatal hernioplasties. Long-term follow-up has now been completed on 153 patients. For this procedure, the anterior gastric wall is stapled, not cut, and the fundoplication is performed on the cardia and the neoesophagus created by the stapling and is sutured under the diaphragm. A total of 161 patients underwent the stapled, uncut gastroplasty and were followed for up to 24 years. Conditions included reflux in 145, organic stricture in 23, giant hiatal hernia in 14 (with or without obstruction) and collagen esophagus in six. Post-operative tests included subjective symptom evaluation by questionnaire, esophageal manometry and 24-h pH monitoring. Of the total 161 patients, 89 were followed up for 2-10 years and 64 for 1-24 years; seven were lost to follow-up and one died soon after the operation. The stapled, uncut gastroplasty and fundoplication produced 95% excellent and good results (Matthews classification grade I and II). After the procedure, the esophagus was significantly lengthened (from 2.55 +/- 0.96 to 3.2 +/- 0.32 cm; p < 0.001) and sphincter pressure was significantly increased (from 6.35 +/- 3.5 to 27.3 +/- 6.82 mmHg; p < 0.0001). No leakage, bleeding, or 'slipped' recurrence was observed. Only one patient experienced dissolution of the wrap and recurrent symptoms. Aspiration, scleroderma, stricture and short esophagi, post-gastrectomy gastric remnants and hiccups were treated with excellent and good long-term results. The stapled, uncut gastroplasty has universal application with excellent results, not only in typical cases of gastroesophageal reflux, but also in complicated situations such as short esophagus, strictures, or dysperistaltic and aperistaltic esophagus.