Background: There are few published reports on the outcomes of ≥ 10 years after a laparoscopic floppy Nissen fundoplication (LFNF).
Materials and methods: From April 1994 to January 2012, 567 patients underwent LFNF and the outcomes of 211 cases were determined (from April 1994 to October 2000).
Results: 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.
Conclusion: LFNF is an effective long-term treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease, yielding similar results to open fundoplication.