652 LAPAROSCOPIC FUNDOPLICATION IS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX AND ABSENT ESOPHAGEAL CONTRACTILITY

Anti-reflux surgery in the setting of preoperative esophageal dysmotility is contentious due to fear of persistent long-term dysphagia, particularly in individuals with an aperistaltic esophagus (absent esophageal contractility). Emerging evidence suggests fundoplication is safe and effective in patients with esophageal dysmotility. This study aimed to determine the long-term postoperative outcomes following fundoplication in patients with absent esophageal contractility versus normal motility. Methods A case control study was performed, using a prospectively maintained database to identify all (40) patients with absent esophageal contractility on preoperative manometry who subsequently underwent fundoplication (36 anterior partial, 4 Nissen). Cases were propensity matched based on age, gender, and fundoplication type with another 708 patients who all had normal motility. Groups were assessed using prospective symptom assessment questionnaires to assess heartburn, dysphagia for solids and liquids, regurgitation, and satisfaction with surgery. Outcomes were compared at baseline and at 1, 5 and 10 years follow-up. Results Across follow-up to 10 years, no significant differences were found between the two groups for any of the assessed postoperative symptoms. Multivariate analysis found that patients with absent contractility had worse preoperative dysphagia (adjusted mean difference 1.09, p = 0.048), but postoperatively there were no significant differences in dysphagia scores at 5 and 10 year follow-up. No differences in overall patient satisfaction were identified across the follow-up period. Conclusion Laparoscopic anterior partial fundoplication in patients with absent esophageal contractility achieves acceptable symptom control without significantly worse dysphagia compared to patients with normal contractility. Patients with medically refractory reflux who have absent contractility should still be considered for surgical intervention.

Laparoscopic Fundoplication Is Effective Treatment for Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux and Absent Esophageal Contractility

Background Anti-reflux surgery in the setting of preoperative esophageal dysmotility is contentious due to fear of persistent long-term dysphagia, particularly in individuals with an aperistaltic esophagus (absent esophageal contractility). This study determined the long-term postoperative outcomes following fundoplication in patients with absent esophageal contractility versus normal motility. Methods A prospective database was used to identify all (40) patients with absent esophageal contractility who subsequently underwent fundoplication (36 anterior partial, 4 Nissen). Cases were propensity matched based on age, gender, and fundoplication type with another 708 patients who all had normal motility. Groups were assessed using prospective symptom assessment questionnaires to assess heartburn, dysphagia for solids and liquids, regurgitation, and satisfaction with surgery, and outcomes were compared. Results Across follow-up to 10 years, no significant differences were found between the two groups for any of the assessed postoperative symptoms. Multivariate analysis found that patients with absent contractility had worse preoperative dysphagia (adjusted mean difference 1.09, p = 0.048), but postoperatively there were no significant differences in dysphagia scores at 5- and 10-year follow-up. No differences in overall patient satisfaction were identified across the follow-up period. Conclusion Laparoscopic partial fundoplication in patients with absent esophageal contractility achieves acceptable symptom control without significantly worse dysphagia compared with patients with normal contractility. Patients with absent contractility should still be considered for surgery.

Rheumatologic disorders in patients undergoing esophageal manometry: prevalence, symptom characteristics, and manometric findings

Summary Rheumatologic disorders (RDs) can have gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients often have upper GI symptoms from absent esophageal contractility (AC). Upper GI symptom characteristics and high-resolution esophageal manometry with impedance (HREMI) findings of other RDs have not been well studied. We aimed to: (i) determine the prevalence of RD in patients undergoing HREMI and (ii) assess the symptom characteristics and manometric findings of these patients. Patients undergoing HREMI (July 2018 to March 2020) rated their GI symptoms’ severity. Healthy volunteers (HVs) also underwent HREMI. Of the 1,003 patients, 90 (9%) had RD (mean age: 55.3 ± 1.4 years, 73.3% females), most commonly SSc (n = 27), rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 20), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n = 11). The most severe upper GI symptoms in patients with RD were heartburn, regurgitation, nausea, and dysphagia, with no significant differences in their severities between SSc, RA, and SLE. RD patients had higher upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures, lower distal contractile integral (DCI), lower bolus clearance, and more frequent hiatal hernia (HH) on HREMI (all P < 0.05) than HVs. Over half (61.1%) of patients with RD had esophageal motility disorders, most commonly AC (n = 25), ineffective esophageal motility (IEM; n = 18), and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) obstructive disorders (n = 11). Among patients undergoing HREMI, 9% had RD. Upper GI symptom severities did not distinguish different RDs. Patients with RD had higher UES pressures, weaker DCI, lower bolus clearance, and more frequent HH than HVs. Although AC and IEM were most common motility disorders, a considerable minority (12.2%) of our RD patients had EGJ obstructive disorders.

Repetitive antegrade contraction: a novel response to sustained esophageal distension is modulated by cholinergic influence

Repetitive antegrade contraction, a unique, patterned, motor response to sustained esophageal distension, is observed on functional luminal imaging probe panometry in healthy controls and patients with normal esophageal motility; however, the mechanisms related to this response are unclear. Among healthy, asymptomatic volunteers, cholinergic inhibition with atropine reduced the vigor and triggering of distension-induced esophageal contractility, although the rate at which contractions occurred in a repetitive antegrade contraction pattern was unchanged by atropine.