Surgical Treatment for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a prevalent disease that is usually treated with diet, lifestyle modifications, and proton pump inhibitor therapy. However, nearly 10% to 30% of patients do not achieve adequate acid suppression even with high doses of proton pump inhibitors. For these patients with resistant disease, fundoplication may be recommended but the success rate of fundoplication surgery on laryngopharyngeal symptoms and findings remains uncertain. Objective: To determine whether fundoplication is associated with control of signs and symptoms in patients with LPR. Evidence Review: A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline to identify studies published between 1990 and 2018 about the efficacy of fundoplication on clinical outcomes of LPR. Three investigators screened publications for eligibility and exclusion based on predetermined criteria. Study design, patient characteristics, diagnostic method, exclusion criteria, treatment characteristics, follow-up, and quality of the outcome assessment were evaluated. Findings: Of the 266 studies identified, 34 met the inclusion criteria, accounting for 2190 patients with LPR (1270 women and 920 men; mean [SD] age at the time of surgery, 49.3 [6.3] years). A weighted mean of 83.0% of patients (95% CI, 79.7%-86.3%) experienced improvement and a weighted mean of 67.0% of patients (95% CI, 64.1%-69.9%) experienced a disappearance of symptoms, but there is a high level of methodological heterogeneity among studies according to diagnostic method, exclusion criteria, and outcomes used to assess the efficacy of fundoplication. A pH study without impedance study was used in most studies but with various inclusion criteria. According to results of an a priori assessment, the clinical outcomes used were overall poor, excluding many symptoms and findings associated with LPR. Conclusion and Relevance: The reported studies of fundoplication in LPR disease have important heterogeneity in method of diagnosis, exclusion criteria, symptoms, and signs assessed as therapeutic outcomes; therefore, this systematic review was nonconclusive regarding whether surgery for LPR disease is associated with effective control of sight and symptoms. Otolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, and surgeons must establish a diagnostic criterion standard, clear indications for surgery, and future clinical outcomes to precisely assess the effectiveness of treatment.

Evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may present with a variety of symptoms, including heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia, chronic cough, laryngitis, or even asthma. Therefore, the clinical presentation of GERD varies among individuals and conversely symptoms not always correspond to the presence of actual reflux. For that reason, the diagnosis poses certain challenges to the physician. To overcome these challenges, a thorough clinical examination followed by objective functional testing could improve diagnostic accuracy. In addition, a proper evaluation of patients with GERD can help in identifying those who will likely benefit the most from an antireflux procedure. The diagnostic work-up of these patients should include: symptomatic evaluation, upper endoscopy, barium swallow, high-resolution manometry, and ambulatory pH monitoring. Once a proper diagnosis of GERD is achieved, antireflux surgery is an excellent option for patients with partial control of symptoms with medication, for patients who do not want to be on long-term medical treatment (compliance/cost), or when complications of medical treatment occur.

Paraesophageal Hernia and Reflux Prevention: Is One Fundoplication Better than the Other?

BACKGROUND: The management of paraesophageal hernia (PEH) is one of the most debated in surgery. Trends regarding indications, approach (open, laparoscopic, thoracoscopic), sac excision, mesh placement, and routine performance of fundoplication have changed over time. Today, most surgeons tend to perform a laparoscopic PEH repair that entails the excision of the sac, liberal use of a mesh to buttress the hiatus, and the addition of an anti-reflux procedure. Nevertheless, very little has been written on which type of fundoplication should be performed in these patients. Therefore, the goal of our study was to provide an evidence-based overview of which type of fundoplication should be performed during a PEH repair and the role of preoperative function tests in the decision-making METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, Cochran, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases for papers published between 1996 and 2016 pertaining to the surgical treatment of PEH. We hand-searched the bibliographies of included studies and we excluded all reviews and case reports. We selected clinical studies and technical reports. We only considered papers stating rationales for the type of fundoplication performed. RESULTS: Our search yielded 24 articles: 17 clinical studies and 7 technical reports. In five of the clinical studies, a fundoplication was added only to patients with reflux symptoms. In all clinical studies, the most performed procedure was a total fundoplication (Nissen or Nissen-Rossetti), whereas a partial fundoplication (Toupet more frequently than Dor) or no fundoplication was reserved to those with impaired esophageal motility. All seven technical reports recommended a tailored approach and suggested adding a partial fundoplication (mainly Toupet) when the manometric findings showed esophageal dismotility. CONCLUSION: The argument of whether or not a fundoplication should be added to a PEH repair in patients without evidence of reflux still persists. However, this review highlights that, when a fundoplication is performed, a tailored approach based on preoperative function tests is almost always preferred.

Diagnosis and Treatment of the Extraesophageal Manifestations of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment options available for management of extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and to compare the most recent technological advances to the existing guidelines. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Extraesophageal manifestations of GERD include cough, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), and asthma. Recent advances in diagnostic modalities may have outpaced the existing diagnostic and therapeutic clinical guidelines. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase databases for articles pertaining to the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of extraesophageal manifestations of reflux, specifically cough due to reflux, LPR, and asthma due to reflux. Search terms applied to 3 thematic topics: diagnosis, medical treatment, and surgical treatment. We had searched the bibliographies of included studies, yielding a total of 271 articles for full review. We graded the level of evidence and classified recommendations by size of treatment effect, according to the guidelines from the American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight articles met criteria for analysis. Our findings show that the diagnosis of cough, LPR, or asthma due to gastroesophageal reflux is difficult, as no criterion standard test exits. Also, patients often present without heartburn or regurgitation typical of GERD. Combined multichannel intraluminal impedance, the pH (MII-pH) monitoring system, and the symptom association probability (SAP) test might distinguish extraesophageal manifestations of reflux from idiopathic chronic cough, laryngitis due to other causes, and atopic asthma. In addition, extraesophageal manifestations of reflux are most effectively diagnosed with a stepwise approach incorporating empiric treatment and antisecretory therapy, combined MII-pH monitoring, and surgical intervention in few selected cases. CONCLUSIONS: Recent studies demonstrate the potential diagnostic role of MII-pH monitoring. Surgical intervention provides resolution of extraesophageal symptoms less reliably than typical symptoms when the patient has GERD.

Open access phone triage for veterans with suspected malignant pleural mesothelioma.

BACKGROUND: Phone triaging patients with suspected malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) within the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) system offers a model for rapid, expert guided evaluation for patients with rare and treatable diseases within a national integrated healthcare system. To assess feasibility of national open access telephone triage using evidence-based treatment recommendations for patients with MPM, measure timelines of the triage and referral process and record the impact on "intent to treat" for patients using our service. METHODS: A retrospective study. The main outcome measures were: (1) ability to perform long distance phone triage, (2) to assess the speed of access to a mesothelioma surgical specialist for patients throughout the entire VHA, and (3) to determine if access to a specialist would alter the plan of care. RESULTS: Sixty veterans were screened by our phone triage program, 38 traveled an average of 997 miles to VA Boston Healthcare system. On average, 14 d elapsed from initial phone contact until the patient was physically evaluated in our general thoracic clinic in Boston. The treatment plan was altered for 71% of patients evaluated at VA Boston Healthcare system based on 2012 International Mesothelioma Interest Group guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial experience demonstrates that in-network centralized care for Veterans with MPM is feasible within the VHA. National open access phone triage improves access to expert surgical advice and can be delivered in a timely manner for Veterans using our service. Guideline-based treatment recommendations ("intent to treat") changed the therapeutic course for the majority of patients who used our service.

Emerging enhanced imaging technologies of the esophagus: spectroscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy, and optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in diagnoses and therapy, esophageal adenocarcinoma remains a highly lethal neoplasm. Hence, a great interest has been placed in detecting early lesions and in the detection of Barrett esophagus (BE). Advanced imaging technologies of the esophagus have then been developed with the aim of improving biopsy sensitivity and detection of preplastic and neoplastic cells. The purpose of this article was to review emerging imaging technologies for esophageal pathology, spectroscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: We conducted a PubMed search using the search string "esophagus or esophageal or oesophageal or oesophagus" and "Barrett or esophageal neoplasm" and "spectroscopy or optical spectroscopy" and "confocal laser endomicroscopy" and "confocal microscopy" and "optical coherence tomography." The first and senior author separately reviewed all articles. Our search identified: 19 in vivo studies with spectroscopy that accounted for 1021 patients and 4 ex vivo studies; 14 clinical CLE in vivo studies that accounted for 941 patients and 1 ex vivo study with 13 patients; and 17 clinical OCT in vivo studies that accounted for 773 patients and 2 ex vivo studies. RESULTS: Human studies using spectroscopy had a very high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of BE. CLE showed a high interobserver agreement in diagnosing esophageal pathology and an accuracy of predicting neoplasia. We also found several clinical studies that reported excellent diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the detection of BE using OCT. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced imaging technology for the detection of esophageal lesions is a promising field that aims to improve the detection of early esophageal lesions. Although advancing imaging techniques improve diagnostic sensitivities and specificities, their integration into diagnostic protocols has yet to be perfected.

Usefulness of pH monitoring in predicting the survival status of patients with scleroderma awaiting lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with scleroderma and end-stage lung disease (ESLD) have a very high prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Because GERD has been associated with aspiration in those with ESLD, and because those with scleroderma are particularly prone to develop severe GERD, there is some concern that GERD may contribute to shorten survival in patients with scleroderma awaiting lung transplantation. Therefore, we hypothesized that esophageal pH monitoring could predict survival of those with scleroderma and ESLD awaiting lung transplantation and that the severity of reflux can impact survival. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all scleroderma patients referred for lung transplantation who underwent esophageal manometry and pH monitoring since August 2008. We identified 10 patients in whom we calculated and compared the area under the curve for each receiver operating characteristic curve of the following variables: DeMeester score, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), %predicted FEV1, forced vital capacity (FVC), %predicted FVC, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco), and %predicted DLco. RESULTS: The DeMeester score nominally outperformed FEV1, FVC, and DLco. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also used to define the optimal DeMeester score (65.2) in differentiating survival status, as determined by maximizing sensitivity and specificity. Based on this value, we calculated the 1-y survival from the time of the esophageal function testing, which was 100% in seven patients with a DeMeester score of <65.2, and 33% in three patients with a score >65.2 (P = 0.01). The latter patients had greater total time pH < 4, greater time pH < 4 in the supine position, greater total episodes of reflux, and higher prevalence of absent peristalsis. The single survivor with a DeMeester score >70 had also proximal reflux, underwent antireflux surgery, and is alive 1201 d after transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that esophageal pH monitoring can predict survival status in patients with scleroderma awaiting lung transplantation and that the severity of reflux can impact the 1-y survival rate. Therefore, esophageal pH monitoring should be considered early in patients with scleroderma and ESLD, as this test could appropriately identify those in whom laparoscopic antireflux surgery should be performed quicker to prevent GERD and its detrimental effects in patients awaiting lung transplantation.

The role of impaired esophageal and gastric motility in end-stage lung diseases and after lung transplantation.

Today, many questions persist regarding the causal relationship of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to promote aspiration and its potential to induce both pulmonary and allograft failure. Current hypotheses, which have identified GERD as a nonimmune risk factor in inducing pulmonary and allograft failure, center on the role of GERD-induced aspiration of gastroduodenal contents. Risk factors of GERD, such as impaired esophageal and gastric motility, may indirectly play a role in the aspiration process. In fact, although impaired esophageal and gastric motility is not independently a cause of lung deterioration or allograft failure, they may cause and or exacerbate GERD. This report seeks to review present research on impaired esophageal and gastric motility in end-stage lung disease to characterize prevalence, etiology, pathophysiology, and current treatment options within this special patient population.

An 81-year-old gentleman with symptomatic Bochdalek hernia.

An 81-year-old gentleman with congenital polycystic kidney disease presented to his primary care physician with dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux refractory to medical management, and 11.25 kg weight loss in a 6 mo-period. A barium swallow misdiagnosed a paraesophageal hernia for a Bochdalek hernia. Herein, we highlight how a Bochdalek hernia may be disregarded in the differential diagnosis and how providers can resort to a more common diagnosis, a paraesophageal hernia, which is more frequently encountered in old age and whose radiologic appearance might mimic a Bochdalek hernia.

Laparoscopic repair of epiphrenic diverticulum.

With the advancement of minimally invasive techniques, the laparoscopic approach of the epiphrenic diverticula has gained widespread popularity and it is considered today the approach of choice in most cases. Unfortunately, the preoperative evaluation of patients with epiphrenic diverticula, and their surgical management, is still ill defined. The goal of this article is to highlight the evidence-based rationale for our standard preoperative evaluation and chosen surgical technique.

Medium and long-term outcomes after pneumatic dilation or laparoscopic Heller myotomy for achalasia: a meta-analysis.

Recent randomized studies comparing outcomes after pneumatic dilation (PD) and laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) for the treatment of achalasia are conflicting and limited to short-term follow-up. Our meta-analysis compared the long-term durability of these approaches, with the hypothesis that LHM offers superior long-term remission compared with PD. We identified 36 studies published between 2001 and 2011 with at least 5 years of follow-up. Those studies describing PD included 3211 patients (mean age, 49.8 y). For PD, the mean 5-year remission rate was 61.9% and the mean 10-year remission rate was 47.9%. Overall, 1526 patients (mean age, 46.3 y) were treated with LHM; 83% received a fundoplication. In contrast, the mean 5- and 10-year remission rates after LHM were 76.1% and 79.6%, respectively. Finally, the perforation rate for LHM was twice that of PD (4.8% vs. 2.4%; P<0.05). We conclude that despite a higher frequency of perforation, LHM affords greater long-term durability.

The prevalence and extent of gastroesophageal reflux disease correlates to the type of lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is increasingly convincing that lung transplantation is a risk factor of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, it is still not known if the type of lung transplant (unilateral, bilateral, or retransplant) plays a role in the pathogenesis of GERD. STUDY DESIGN: The records of 61 lung transplant patients who underwent esophageal function tests between September 2008 and May 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were divided into 3 groups based on the type of lung transplant they received: unilateral (n=25); bilateral (n=30), and retransplant (n=6). Among these groups we compared: (1) the demographic characteristics (eg, sex, age, race, and body mass index); (2) the presence of Barrett esophagus, delayed gastric emptying, and hiatal hernia; and (3) the esophageal manometric and pH-metric profile. RESULTS: Distal and proximal reflux were more prevalent in patients with bilateral transplant or retransplant and less prevalent in patients after unilateral transplant, regardless of the cause of their lung disease. The prevalence of hiatal hernia, Barrett esophagus, and the manometric profile were similar in all groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although our data show a discrepancy in prevalence of GERD in patients with different types of lung transplantation, we cannot determine the exact cause for these findings from this study. We speculate that the extent of dissection during the transplant places the patients at risk for GERD. On the basis of the results of this study, a higher level of suspicion of GERD should be held in patients after bilateral or retransplantation.

Presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of oesophageal motility disorders.

Whilst the current treatment of achalasia is well understood, the management of other oesophageal disorders is still debated, as these are rare and the literature on their clinical presentation and management is scarce. The following review describes the clinical presentation of oesophageal motility disorders, gives an overview of their diagnosis in light of the new advances in oesophageal motility testing, and provides an evidence-based approach to their management with different forms of treatment (medical, endoscopic, and minimally invasive).

Laparoscopic treatment of epiphrenic diverticula: preoperative evaluation and surgical technique. How I do it.

INTRODUCTION: Traditionally, epiphrenic diverticula have been managed through a left thoracotomy. With the advancement of minimally invasive techniques, a laparoscopic approach has gained widespread popularity. Unfortunately, the preoperative evaluation of patients with epiphrenic diverticula, and their surgical management, is still not well characterized. DISCUSSION: The goal of this article is to illustrate our approach to patients with epiphrenic diverticula in terms of preoperative evaluation and surgical technique. The final discussion will focus on the evidence-based rationale for our preoperative assessment and surgical approach.