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BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that Nissen fundoplication controls acid gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Combined 24-h pH and multichannel intraluminal impedance (MII-pH) allows detection of both acid and nonacid GER. Antireflux surgery is considered for any patient whose medical therapy is not efficient, particularly patients with nonacid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Nevertheless, fundoplication used to control nonacid reflux has not been reported to date. METHODS: In this study, 15 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic Nissen-Rossetti fundoplication had MII-pH both before and after the surgical procedure. The numbers of acid and nonacid GER episodes were calculated with the patient in both upright and recumbent positions. RESULTS: The 24-h pH monitoring confirmed the postoperative reduction of exposure to acid (p < 0.05). Postoperatively, the total, acid, and nonacid numbers of GER episodes were reduced (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the findings, MII-pH is feasible and well tolerated. It provides an objective means for evaluating the effectiveness of Nissen-Rossetti fundoplication in controlling both acid and nonacid GER

Background: Esophageal cancer is associated with a poor long-term prognosis. Only a 10% 5-year survival rate is reported. This article aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic esophagectomy for the palliative treatment of advanced esophageal cancer (T3-T4 Nx-N1) after neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: From March 1998 to July 2002, 35 patients (mean age, 64.6 years; range, 35–72 years) affected by advanced cancer of the middle lower third of the esophagus came to the authors’ observation. All received neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Of the 35 patients, 22 (62.9%) showed a positive response to treatment (‡50% reduction of maximal cross-sectional area of the tumor), and surgical intervention was performed 4 weeks after the end of the therapy. The operations were accomplished through the laparoscopic approach and left lateral cervicotomy. Results: The mean operative time was 160 min (range, 120–260 min). One patient (4.5%) experienced a cervical anastomotic leak. Three patients (13.6%) died in the postoperative period: one of myocardial infarction and two of acute respiratory failure. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 12.1 days (range, 9–23 days). After a mean follow-up period of 20.2 months (range, 10–40 months), 13 patients (68.4%) were alive. Conclusions: The laparoscopic approach seems to be effective for the palliative treatment of advanced esophageal cancer. Further trials will be necessary to evaluate the advantages of this technique.

Background: Thoracotomy represents the traditional surgical approach for the treatment of epiphrenic diverticula. A mini-invasive procedure has been reported in only few series. This article describes the authors’ experience with the laparoscopic approach for performing diverticulectomy, myotomy and Nissen–Rossetti fundoplication. Methods: From 1994 to 2002, 13 patients (6 men and 7 women), mean age 57 years (range 45–71 years), with symptomatic epiphrenic diverticulum underwent laparoscopic diverticulectomy, myotomy, and Nissen–Rossetti fundoplication. Results: The mean operative time was 145 min (range 110–180 min). No operative mortality was observed. The mean hospital stay was 13.9 days (range 7– 25 years). The first three patients (23.1%) who underwent surgery experienced a partial disruption of the suture staple line. One patient (7.7%) died of a myocardial infarction. After a mean clinical follow-up period of 58 months (range 3–96 months), all the patients were symptom free. Conclusions: Laparoscopic management of epiphrenic diverticula seems to be as safe and effective as the traditional approach, although a longer follow-up period is necessary to confirm the study results.

Background: Laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia has been validated worldwide in the past decade. However, hiatal hernia recurrence still represents the most frequent long-term complication after primary repair. Different techniques for hiatal closure have been recommended, but the problem remains unsolved. The authors theorized that ultrastructural alterations may be implicated in hiatal hernia. Thus, this study was undertaken to investigate the presence of these alterations in patients with or without hiatal hernia. Methods: Samples from Laimer–Bertelli connective membrane and muscular crura at the esophageal hiatus were collected from 19 patients with GERD and hiatal hernia (HH group), and from 7 patients without hiatal hernia enrolled as the control group (NHH group). Specimens were processed and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Results: Muscle and connective samples from the NHH group did not present any ultrastructural alteration that could be detected by transmission electron microscopy. Similarly, connective samples from the HH group showed no ultrastructural alterations. In contrast, all muscle samples from the HH group exhibited sarcolemmal alterations, subsarcolemmal vacuolar degeneration, extended disruption of sarcotubular complexes, increased intermyofibrillar spaces, and sarcomere splitting. Conclusion: The evidence of ultrastructural alterations in all the patients in the HH group raises the suspicion that the long-term outcomes of antireflux surgery depend not only on the surgical technique, but also on the underlying muscular diaphragmatic illness.