Laparoscopic floppy Nissen fundoplication: 11-year follow-up

There are few published reports on the outcomes of ≥ 10 years after a laparoscopic floppy Nissen fundoplication (LFNF).

From April 1994 to January 2012, 567 patients underwent LFNF and the outcomes of 211 cases were determined (from April 1994 to October 2000).

Outcomes at ≥ 11 years after surgery was available for 178 patients (84.3%) of which 167 (93.8%) had no heartburn or mild heartburn, 8 (4.5%) had moderate heartburn, and 3 had (1.7%) severe heartburn. Dysphagia was nonexistent or mild in 153 (85.9%), whereas the remaining 14.1% presented moderate to severe symptoms. Reports of 69.1% patients showed none or mild symptoms of abdominal bloating, that of 23% patients showed moderate discomfort, and reports of 7.8% showed severe bloating. Satisfaction score was 8.6 (of 10). A further surgical procedure was required for 7 patients (3.9%): 4 for recurrent reflux and 3 for dysphagia (2 for a tight wrap and 1 for a tight esophageal hiatus). Postoperative dysphagia sufficient for an endoscopic dilatation was observed in 4 patients (2.3%), where 3 were successfully managed with a single dilatation procedure and the last patient underwent several dilatations before adequate swallowing.

LFNF is an effective long-term treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease, yielding similar results to open fundoplication.