Gastroesophageal fundoplication for the management of reflux in infants and children.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been recognized with increasing frequency as the source of a wide variety of symptoms in infants and children. During the past 8 years at the UCLA Hospital, 74 patients under 18 years of age have been identified as having sufficiently severe symptomatic reflux to warrant gastroesophageal fundoplication. Although repeated emesis was the most common primary symptom, failure to thrive was a major symptom in 20 patients, repeated pneumonia in 18, asthma in five, and dysphagia owing to stricture in 12. Nine patients with previously repaired esophageal atresia had severe reflux. Serious neurologic disorders were present in 14 children. The diagnosis of reflux in the majority of symptomatic children was established by combining the findings of an abnormal esophagogram, Tuttle test, esophageal manometry, and esophagoscopy with biopsy. Six infants experienced repeated symptomatic GER although results of all diagnostic studies were normal. Each of the patients had undergone an unsuccessful trial of medical management before the decision to operate was made. Transabdominal Nissen fundoplication with gastrostomy was performed on each of the 74 children (28 under 1 year of age). Each of the strictures was successfully managed by postoperative dilatations. No death and no major complications occurred, but six patients experienced transient dysphagia and four had delayed gastric emptying. Every patient has been relieved of clinical reflux, and the pulmonary status in each, including the asthmatic children, has been markedly improved. On the basis of this favorable experience with 74 patients, we believe that an aggressive surgical approach should be taken in the management of symptomatic GER in infants and children who fail to respond to an adequate trial of medical management.