[Collis's operation for brachyesophagus. (49 patients)].

The results of infradiaphragmatic Collis' gastroplasty for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux associated with acquired short brachyesophagus (Barrett's esophagus) were prospectively studied in 49 patients (50 operations). Clinical and endoscopic findings, and 3-hour postprandial pH measurement including Kaye's score were evaluated at short (3 to 8 months), medium (1 to 4 years), and long-term (more than 4 years) for all patients. Postoperative morbidity was 16 percent; there were 3 deaths (6 percent). Short term results, evaluated in 45 patients, were considered satisfactory in 30, poor (pyrosis and esophagitis) in 2, and incomplete (pyrosis without esophagitis in 2, dysphagia in 5, mild esophagitis in 6) in 13. Long term results (32 patients) were satisfactory in 24, poor in 5, and incomplete in 3 (pyrosis without esophagitis in one, gastric outlet disorder in 2). Long term pH measurements were obtained in 21 patients: 3 out of 6 patients with high scores had clinical or endoscopic signs of esophagitis. Analysis of late results showed that: a) satisfactory short term outcome was maintained in all but 2 patients (deterioration was observed in one patient 4 years later because of aggressive treatment for terminal bronchopulmonary carcinoma; the other was observed 5 years later after steroid therapy for aspergilloma with severe asthma); b) pH scores were variable in 11 patients. This variability and discordance of pH measurements was most likely due to the presence of acid secretion above the new esogastric junction, which was observed in half of the cases. We conclude that Collis' gastroplasty provided good results in Barrett's esophagus and might be compared to duodenal diversion in ulterior studies in this setting.