[Total duodenal diversion in hiatal hernia with pathological duodenoesophageal reflux (preliminary results)]

For some patients, reflux disease means also duodenogastric, as well as gastroesophageal reflux; they may suffer because of duodenoesophageal reflux. For these patients, a simple surgical restoration of the cardial competence may prove to be insufficient; on the contrary, an indirect approach, using vagotomy and duodenal diversion may be a good therapeutical option in selected cases. In our hands, total duodenal diversion has already proven to be a good technical solution for the surgical treatment of the postoperative reflux disease, so we decided to expand its first choice indications to hiatal hernia cases, in the presence of duodenoesophageal reflux. Therefore, our study presents the results of the first 7 cases, operated on since 1995. No case had been gastric operated before, but 4/7 had already suffered a cholecystectomy. Duodenoesophageal reflux is discussed: etiopathogenesis related to surgical approach, using standard antireflux surgery (failures of the hiatal techniques and their causes) or total duodenal diversion (technical aspects, antireflux efficiency, secondary functional effects, pros and cons, therapeutical indications).