Nissen fundoplication

A personal series of 16 patients treated with Nissen fundoplication for reflux peptic esophagitis with or without hiatal hernia between March 1975 and September 1977 is presented. The average length of followup was 18 months. The age range was 21 to 78. Very good to excellent results were achieved in 94% with a 12.5% morbidity, 6% operative complication rate and 0 mortality. This relatively simple procedure definitely reduces, if not cures, the symptomatology of the often "miserable" patient with intractable reflux peptic esophagitis. The encouraging reports in the recent literature concerning patients treated with this operation recommend its wider use in the future.