Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common intestinal disorder. Although fundoplication immediately achieves good results, some problems arise about duration.
Methods: From 1990 to 1992, thirty-seven patients underwent operation for GERD, the indications for surgery being: persistence of reflux symptoms after at least 6 months of medical therapy, esophagitis, manometric evidence of LES incompetence, augmented esophageal exposure to gastric juice documented by 24 hours pH monitoring. Nissen-Rossetti was the technique used; intraoperative calibration was 29.8 mmHg.
Results: Twenty-five patients were studied 12 months after the operation. They were submitted to clinical examination, gastroscopy, manometry, 24 hours pH monitoring. Clinically 2 patients were unable to belch. All of them showed LESP and intra-abdominal HPZ length decreased (32.3% and 13.5% respectively). The factors influencing LESP 12 months after surgery are age and intraoperative calibration. Pressure decrease is related to age and calibration. An older patient will show a smaller decrement, to a higher intraoperative pressure corresponds a higher pressure decrease with time.
Conclusions: For these reasons we do not recommend hypercalibration especially in the elderly.