Esophageal body motor disturbances in gastroesophageal reflux and the effects of fundoplication.

Thirty-seven patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were included in an esophageal manometry study before and six months after fundoplication. The motility pattern of the body of the esophagus in the patient group was compared with that of 15 healthy controls. No differences in swallowing amplitudes were found between patients with different degrees of esophagitis or between GERD patients and controls. Peristaltic activity was slightly impaired in patients with endoscopic esophagitis compared with controls. No correlation was found between dysphagia and chest pain symptoms on the one hand and on peristaltic pattern and swallowing amplitudes on the other. It was concluded that conventional esophageal manometry has little to contribute to the investigation of symptoms such as non-burning chest pain and dysphagia in GERD. Effective anti-reflux surgery eliminates these symptoms with little influence on the esophageal motility pattern.