Review article: anti-reflux surgery and endoluminal therapies

In the short term, fundoplication and antisecretory medication are equally effective in the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. However, over the long term, the fundoplication wrap tends to become loose, and many surgical patients continue to take antisecretory medication after surgery. The operation is technically complex and takes a long time to learn. Inexperience of the individual surgeon is a major factor contributing to the occurrence of postsurgical complications. Fundoplication does not prevent the occurrence of Barrett's oesophagus nor its progression to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. There is no evidence to suggest that the procedure is less costly or more cost-effective than long-term maintenance therapy with antisecretory medications, especially if surgical failures and postsurgical complications are taken into account. Fundoplication represents an alternative to medical therapy in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease who cannot or do not want to be on long-term maintenance therapy with antisecretory medication. Endoluminal procedures, such as radiofrequency ablation, endoscopic suturing and injection at the gastro-oesophageal junction, work only in mild forms of reflux disease. They fail to provide complete relief of reflux symptoms and do not heal erosive oesophagitis. All endoluminal procedures would have to undergo major technological improvements before they could become comparable with fundoplication or antisecretory therapy.