Standard antireflux operations in patients who have Barrett's esophagus. Current results

Several therapeutic options exist for patients who have BE, and treatment should be individualized (Fig. 1). The best option in patients who have a high surgical risk or who reject surgery is lifelong conservative treatment, adjusting the PPI dosage with pH-metric controls. In patients who have a low surgical risk the best option is Nissen fundoplication. Only in cases in which esophageal shortening prevents a tension-free fundoplication from being done is a Collis gastroplasty associated with a fundoplication indicated. Other options may be indicated only in exceptional circumstances: (a) duodenal switch, when, after multiple failures with previous surgery, the approach to the esophagogastric junction is extremely difficult; and (b) esophageal resection, when there is a nondilatable esophageal stenosis and in cases in which the histologic study reveals the presence of high-grade dysplasia. Whatever treatment is used, an endoscopic surveillance program is mandatory, since, with the exception of total esophagectomy, no therapeutic option completely eliminates the risk for progression to adenocarcinoma.