Evaluation of the Nissen Fundoplication for Treatment of Hiatal Hernia

Twenty-nine patients who underwent Nissen fundoplication for the treatment of symptomatic, sliding, esophageal hiatal hernia are reported. Fourteen of these patients also underwent parietal cell vagotomy (PCV) without a drainage procedure. Simulatenous cineradiography and manometric studies, esophagoscopy and gastric analysis were performed pre- and postoperatively. Esophageal acid clearing and pH reflux studies were performed postoperatively. All but 3 patients had reflux and/or esophagitis preoperatively. Cineradiography and the pH reflux test were the most reliable tests for diagnosis of reflux. There was no operative mortality. The mean followup period was 20 months. Dysphagia occurred in 5 patients. Correction of dysphagia in one patient required operation. The dysphagia in the remaining patients was temporary and mild, responding to dilatation. Two patients had mild diarrhea. One patient who had had a previous gastric resection developed severe diarrhea after bilateral truncal vagotomy. No patient developed the "bloat syndrome". A close correlation did not exist between reflux and preoperative sphincter pressure. The mean LES pressure increased 10 mmH2O postoperatively and the two patients with persistent reflux postoperatively had normal LES pressure. Correction of reflux after Nissen fundoplication is probably due to some mechanism other than increased LES pressure. Recurrent or persistent hiatal hernia was diagnosed in 4 patients by cineradiography. Two of these patients had reflux but only the patient who had undergone PCV was without symptoms or esophagitis. The technical performance of the Nissen hiatal hernia repair was greatly facilitat ed by PCV. This procedure also provided adequate treatment for patients with concomitant duodenal ulcer disease. PCV, unaccompanied by a drainage procedure, was not associated with increased morbidity, mortality or the adverse effects usually attributed to vagotomy. In the event of recurrent hernia and reflux, PCV may prevent the development of esophagitis.