[Gastroesophageal reflux: indications and limitations of medical therapy and function tests]

Reflux disease in most cases shows a benign course, but it only responds slowly to medical treatment and tends to recurrences. Therefore, surgical treatment is far from being substituted by medical treatment. A preoperative assessment by esophageal function tests is indicated when the disease shows unusual features, e.g. hypomotility and retention in the tubular esophagus, no macroscopic sign of esophagitis at endoscopy and complications such as peptic stenosis and columnar lined esophagus.