Effectiveness of a transluminal endoscopic fundoplication for the treatment of pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease

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Although laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is the standard surgical treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), surgical complications and post-operative pain are not uncommon, especially for those patients who are neurologically impaired (NI) or undergoing re-operative procedures. To address this challenge, we utilized the transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) procedure to treat GERD via an endoscopic approach. Eleven TIF patients were included with an average age of 16.5 ± 5.1 years and weight of 45.7 ± 13.3 kg. NI was present in nine patients (82%), including a predominant number of patients with a history of seizures and gastrostomy tube feeding. Five patients had a history of a previous failed fundoplication requiring a re-operative procedure (45%). A retrospective chart review evaluated patient outcomes and post-operative complications. The length of the TIF procedure was 113.3 ± 31.3 min with minimal blood loss. The length of stay was 1.2 ± 0.4 days, although one TIF patient was re-admitted for endoscopic clipping for gastric bleeding. At a follow-up of 8.2 ± 4.2 months, TIF effectively resolved GERD in 10 out of 11 children. A few of the patient's families reported complaints of gagging or dysphagia (30%, 3/11); however it was difficult to determine if complaints were due the procedures itself or baseline NI. All patients who had a follow-up upper GI or pH probe study showed no evidence of reflux. One TIF patient had no recurrent reflux but required an esophago-gastric disconnection for retching. The TIF procedure can complement the current surgically and medically available options for children with GERD, especially in complicated patients such as those with NI. However, complications including hemorrhage emphasize the potential risk of the procedure. Further studies with more patients and a longer follow-up course must be conducted to better assess efficacy.