Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Safe for Elderly

TUESDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Laparoscopic antireflux surgery to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease is as safe and effective in elderly patients as younger patients, researchers report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery.

Marco G. Patti, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues analyzed data from 241 patients under the age of 65 years and 63 patients at least 65 years old who had undergone laparoscopic fundoplication to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The researchers found that both groups had a similar duration of surgery, a similarly low incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications, a median hospital stay of 24 hours, and a resolution of heartburn in about 90 percent of patients. However, regurgitation, respiratory symptoms and heartburn were more common in elderly patients, and 77 percent of the elderly had hiatal hernias, compared with 51 percent of younger patients.

"In conclusion, laparoscopic fundoplication in elderly patients with [gastroesophageal reflux disease] is as safe and effective as it is in younger patients," Patti and colleagues conclude. "This finding suggests that age should not be a factor in deciding whether to recommend laparoscopic fundoplication for treatment."

Abstract
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