this presentation describes the pathophysiology and presentaion of gastroesophageal reflux disease. It also discusses the medical and surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. What makes this presentaion unique is that it also explains the short and long term effects of antireflux surgery and patient's satisfaction with surgery with references.
2. Learning Objectives
Understand the natural history of reflux disease
Understand how to identify candidates for antireflux surgery
Understand the complications of antireflux surgery and
patient’s satisfaction with surgery
3. 10% of US adults report heartburn daily and 40% monthly
More than 40,000 antireflux operations performed yearly in the US
GERD is a strong risk factor for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
$ 6-13 billion annual sales for PPIs (up to 6 times the yearly sales of
McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken)
Frequency and severity does not predict esophagitis, stricture or cancer
development
Why Care?
4.
5. Definition of GERD
Montreal consensus panel (44 experts):
“a condition which develops when reflux of stomach contents
causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications”
Troublesome- Patient gets to decide when reflux interferes
with lifestyle.
6. Clinical Presentation
Heartburn
1-2 hours after eating, often at night, antacid relief
Regurgitation
Spontaneous return of gastric contents proximal to GEJ; less
well relieved with antacid
Dysphagia- difficulty in swallowing should prompt search for
pathological condition
8. Diagnosis
Diagnosis based on symptoms alone is correct only
in 2/3rd of the patients
Differential (ALL CAN KILL YOU)
Achalasia
Diffuse esophageal spasm
Other esophageal motility disorders
Ulcer disease
Cancer
Coronary artery disease
10. Pathophysiology of GERD
Normally, gastric contents don’t back up into the esophagus because
LES creates enough pressure around the lower end of the esophagus to
close it
Reflux occurs when LES pressure is deficient or pressure in the stomach
exceeds LES pressure
When this happens, the LES relaxes, allowing gastric contents to
regurgitate into the esophagus
11. The acidity of gastric content and amount of time in contact with the
esophageal mucosa are related to the degree of mucosal damage
Extension of inflammation into muscularis propria causes progressive
loss in length and pressure of LES-- esophageal shortening
Loss of LES leads to regurgitation, heartburn and subsequent severe
esophagitis
Pathophysiology of GERD
12. Predisposing factors
Pylorus surgery (alteration or removal of the pylorus), which
allows reflux of bile and pancreatic juice
Nasogastric intubation for more than 4 days
Hiatal hernia with incompetent sphincter
Any condition or position that increase intraabdominal pressure
13. complications
Esophagitis (mucosal injury) with or without heartburn
Reflux chest pain syndrome
Respiratiory complications
Metaplastic and neoplastic complications
14. Reflux chest pain syndrome
Heartburn without esophagitis
Bile salts inhibit pepsin
Acidic pH inactivates trypsin
Pain comes from acidic gastric juice breaking mucosal barrier and
irritating nerve endings
15. Respiratory Complications
Reflux and aspiration of gastric contents induces asthma
Correlation between hiatal hernia and pulmonary fibrosis
Pathologic acid exposure often seen in proximal esophagus in
patients with asthma
Simultaneous esophageal and tracheal pH shows acidification of
trachea in concert with esophagus
16. Metaplastic and Neoplastic Complications
Norman Barrett (1950) first described the process whereby the
esophageal squamous epithelium changes to columnar epithelium
Occurs in 7-10% of patients with GERD
Factors predisposing to Barrett’s
Early onset GERD
Abnormal LES or motility disorder
Mixed reflux of gastric and duodenal contents
Barrett’s metaplasia harbors dysplasia in 15-25% patients
High grade dysplasia in 5-10% of the patients
18. Lifestyle Modifications
Educate about lifestyle modifications that may alleviate symptoms
Smoking, alcohol and caffeine cessation
Avoid meals before bedtime
Elevate head of bed
Weight loss if patient obese
Start treatment with Proton Pump Inhibitors
Arrange for follow-up visit
19. Medical Therapy
Acid suppression is the mainstay of GERD treatment today
70-90% of patients will experience relapse within 12
months of healing of acute disease without prophylactic
medical treatment
Agents used
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Histamine blockers
Prokinetic agents
20. Histamine blockers
Reversible competitive blockade of H2 receptors of the parietal
cell
Acid suppression by 70%
Esophagitis healing rates up to 70%
Healing rates dependent on dosage, treatment duration and
severity of disease
Ranitidine, cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine
21. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI)
Most effective available pharmacologic agent for GERD
Acid suppression by 99%
Esophagitis healing rates 80-100%
Inhibit H+
/K+
ATPase enzyme system on parietal cells
Omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole
22. Indications for surgery
Patients with incomplete symptom control or disease progression on
PPI therapy
Patients with well-controlled disease who do not want to be on life-
long antisecretory treatment
Patients with proven extra-esophageal manifestations of GERD like
cough, wheezing, aspiration, hoarseness, sore throat, otitis media, or
enamel erosion.
The presence of Barrett esophagus is a controversial indication for
surgery
25. Preoperative Evaluation:
Endoscopy
Amount to the physical examination
Strictures and large hiatal hernia may indicate shortened
esophagus
High-grade dysplasia or a mass in the esophagus, gastric or
duodenal lumen will change management
26.
27. 24 Hour pH Monitoring
Rationale: gold standard for diagnosis of GERD
Quantifies actual time the esophageal mucosa is exposed to gastric juice
Measures the ability of esophagus to clear refluxed acid
Correlates esophageal acid exposure with patients’ symptoms
Without abnormal pH study, surgery is unlikely to benefit
28. Swallow Study
Only 40% of patients with classic symptoms of GERD will have
reflux observed on radiography
Assess for
Esophageal shortening
Hiatal hernia (80%)
Paraesophageal hernia
Stricture or obstructing lesion
Beading or corkscrewing (motility disorders)
29. Sliding hiatal hernia with
narrowed sphincter and crural
opening
Sliding hiatal hernia with lax
sphincter and diaphragm is wide
open
30.
31. Manometry
Measure the length and pressure of the LOS and
assess motility in the body of the oesophagus during
swallowing
Rules out esophageal motility disorders
Esophageal body dysfunction (achalasia or aperistalsis)
should change management
32. Surgery
Works by restoring the barrier function of the LES
Careful selection of patients with well documented GERD is imperative
Laparoscopic fundoplication is considered the gold standard in antireflux
surgery
Number of cases risen exponentially
33. Goals of Surgery
Prevent significant reflux
Improve quality of life
Minimize complications
(dysphagia)
34. Fundoplication
The most common antireflux operation is the laparoscopic fundoplication
Crural dissection, identification and preservation of both vagi
25% have left hepatic artey coming from left gastric artery in the
gastrohepatic ligament
Circumferential dissection of esophagus
Restoration of 2-3 cm of intraabdominal esophageal length
35. Fundoplication
Elements of laparoscopic Nissen
Crural closure
Fundic mobilization by division of short gastrics
Creation of short, loose fundoplication by enveloping
anterior and posterior wall around lower esophagus
36.
37.
38. Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is high (86-97%)
Long term symptom (heartburn and regurgitation) relief in 84-97%
Symptomatic failure rates (3-13%)
Heartburn and regurgitation
Does not correlate with acidic reflux exposure
Operation did nothing for 3-13%!
Surgeon, August 2009:224.
39. Complications
Review of 10,489 laparoscopic antireflux procedures
Bloating and increased flatulence (9-53%)
Most common side effect
Dysphagia 20%
Wrap herniation (early) 1.3%
Pneumothorax 1%
All others <1% (perforation, hemorrhage, pneumonia, abscess, splenic
injury, trocar hernia, effusion, pulmonary embolism, ulcer, atelectasis,
wound infection, MI, splenectomy)
JACS 2001: 193(4);428-39
Surgeon, August 2009:224.
40. Persistent side effects (>1 month)
Bloating 9%
Reflux 4%
Dysphagia 3%
JACS 2001: 193(4);428-39
Surgeon, August 2009:224.
Complications
41. After a Decade
10 Year follow up of 250 patients
83% highly satisfied with outcome
84% had good or excellent control of heartburn
17% revision operation (usually 3-7%)
Recurrent hiatal hernia, dysphagia, reflux, bleeding (early takeback protocol
for dysphagia)
21% used acid-suppressive medication
JACS 2007;205:570
42. Use of acid-suppressive medication after antireflux
surgery varies (21-62%)
But only 20-30% with “reflux like” symptoms after surgery
have positive pH studies
JACS 2007;205:570
43. Randomized Trial
Randomized trial comparing treatment of GERD with omeprazole and
antireflux surgery
Treatment success- no symptoms or esophagitis
67% surgical
47% medical
Dysphagia, bloating, rectal flatulence common in surgical group
British J Surg 2007;94:198.
44. Cancer Risk
Cancer risk in patients with reflux symptoms is <1 in 10,000 patients
per year
No benefit to avoidance of Barrett’s or adenocarcinoma with
surgery compared to PPI therapy
Low morbidity and mortality risks associated with laparoscopic
antireflux surgery dwarf potential benefit of avoiding cancer
Gastroent 2008;135:1392.
45. What does all of this mean, should I have surgery or
not?
Surgery wins over PPI’s if you don’t mind trading heartburn and
regurgitation for bloating, inability to belch, and excessive
flatulence
Not in everybody, BUT IT COULD BE YOU!
Nevertheless, 86-97% of patients are satisfied with surgery.
Gastroent 2008;135:1392.
46. Complete vs. Partial Wrap
Complete fundoplication offers superior protection to reflux
Increased incidence of dysphagia, inability to belch, and excessive
flatulence
Partial wrap offers lesser protection against reflux, but also lesser
symptoms
Up to 51% may have pathologic esophageal acid exposure on 24 hour pH
monitoring
Surg Endos 1997;11:1080
47. Complete vs. Partial Wrap
Complete now considered superior to partial even in patients with
weak esophageal peristalsis
Exceptions:
Achalasia- anterior wrap utilized with myotomy
Aperistalsis (i.e, Scleroderma)
48. Antireflux Surgery in Reflux
Induced Asthma
Once reflux induced asthma is established, PPI therapy is
instituted
25-50% patients have relief of respiratory symptoms
<15% have improvement in pulmonary function
Antireflux surgery
90% have improvement in pulmonary function
33% of children and 70% of adults have relief
Am J Gastroenterol 2003;98:987
49. Barrett’s esophagus can and does regress after
antireflux surgery: a study of prevalence and predictive
factors
Gurski RR et al. J Am Coll Surg 2003; 196(5):706-712.
Retrospective review
91 patients with symptomatic Barrett’s
77 had surgery, 14 on PPI
Histopathologic regression occurred in 36% (surgery) vs. 7% (PPI; p<0.03)
On multivariate analysis short segment BE and type of treatment were
significantly associated with regression
Median time to regression 18.5 months
50. Does a surgical antireflux procedure decrease the
incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in
Barrett’s esophagus?
Meta-analysis: 1247 abstracts reviewed published 1966-2001, 34
included
4678 (surgical) vs. 4906 (medical) patient-years follow-up
Cancer incidence 3.8/ 1000 patient-years (surgical) vs. 5.3/ 1000
(medical; p=0.29)
Also no significant difference in last 5 years
Antireflux surgery in the setting of BE should not be recommended as
an antineoplastic measure
Corey KE. Am J Gastroenterol 2003; 98(11):2390-2394.
51. Summary
PPI’s work to control symptoms and esophagitis, but require life long
treatment
Successful antireflux surgery is based on abnormal 24 hour pH score,
typical GERD symptoms, and symptomatic improvement in response to
acid-suppression therapy
Surgery is a very effective treatment of GERD with symptom resolution in
over 90% of patients and excellent quality of life
52. Randomized studies document superior efficacy of surgery compared to
PPI in controlling the disease in the short-term but there are concerns
that in the long-term some patients may need to go back on PPI therapy
Having antireflux surgery is patient-centered decision with a benefit:risk
ratio that can only be weighed by the patient
Summary