[Laparoscopic management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Experience with 100 cases]

To evaluate the results of laparoscopic Nissen-Rossetti funduplication and to compare them with the results obtained in open surgery.

Prospective, observational, longitudinal, pre and post-procedure.

Beneficencia Española, Hospital Angeles, and Hospital Francisco Galindo Chávez, ISSSTE, in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.

From December 1992 to February 1999, 100 patients with surgical indications due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) prospectively underwent a laparoscopic Nissen-Rossetti procedure. A clinical and endoscopic follow up from 3 months to 9 years was performed in 87 cases.

Symptomatic control was achieved in 98% (85/87) of the cases and remission of overall endoscopic esophagitis in 79% (69/87); excluding Barrett cases, esophagitis remission was observed in 93% (67/72) of the subjects. The following recurrences took place: two with G-II and two with G-III esophagitis, one requiring pyloroplasty due gastric stasis, and other patient with G-IV esophagitis, who has needed to continue with postoperative dilations. Of 16 cases with Barrett's esophagus, two-showed remission and one did not return control. Perioperative complications included gastric perforations (3), acute pulmonary edema during the immediate postoperative period (1), deep vein thrombosis (1), and late esophageal perforation (1). All were resolved satisfactorily. Surgical mortality was 0 in the 100 cases undergoing the procedure. Eighty-six percent of cases had a 24-h hospital stay. Early morbidity: dysphagia in 60 patients, early satiety in 91 cases, abdominal distention in 25 cases, all this symptomatology disappears during the subsequent 3 months. Persistent morbidity: flatulence in 60% of patients, difficulty for vomiting in 10% of cases.

The laparoscopic procedure is as effective as the open method with the advantage of being minimally invasive.