ObjectiveTo investigate the causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with its typical symptoms (snoring and daytime sleepiness) by using Mendelian randomization (MR). MethodsThe inverse-variance weighted method was used as the main analysis method to assess the causal effect. Sensitivity and pleiotropy analyses were carried out using leave-one-out and MR-Egger analysis, and then heterogeneity tests were conducted. ResultsIn the MR analysis, genetically predicted GERD was associated with a greater risk of OSA (IVW: OR=1.528, 95%CI 1.374 to 1.699, P=5.315E?15). Additional MR results were consistent with the IVW results, and no pleiotropy or heterogeneity was found. We also discovered a significant causal relationship between GRED and snoring (IVW: OR=0.959, 95%CI 0.949 to 0.969, P=1.507E?15), and daytime sleepiness (IVW: OR=1.024, 95%CI 1.021 to 1.036, P=4.580E?5), with no evidence of pleiotropy. ConclusionThe MR study supports a causal effect between GERD and OSA with its typical symptoms (daytime sleepiness and snoring).
ObjectiveTo investigate the individualized management of severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) secondary to scleroderma, particularly the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication for this entity. MethodsFrom June, 2011 to June, 2014 six inpatient cases had severe GERD secondary to scleroderma were documented. Endoscopy, esophageal high-resolution manometry and 24 hours reflux monitoring were applied for GERD evaluation. Maintenance of conservative treatment was carried out for the 2 cases who responsed well to medication therapy, laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication was done for the 4 cases who had extraesophageal symptom and not well controlled by medication. The patients were followed-up for an average of 2.2 years (1 to 4 years) after discharge, and endoscopic was rechecked during the followed-up. ResultsThe esophageal symptom of regurgitation, heartburn and dysphagia, as well as the extraesophageal symptom of cough and asthma significantly relieved during followed-up, meanwhile the anti-reflux medication was reduced or stopped in all the patients. For the 4 surgical patient, one had partial recurrence and no complication occurred. ConclusionsThe management of severe GERD secondary to scleroderma could follow the strategy of controlling the primary disease, living adjustment, anti-reflux medication and surgery step by step. The laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication may be safe, effective and feasible for the medication unmet patients, it deserves further studies.
Objective To investigate the effect on motility function of remnant esophagus and intrathoracic stomach after esophagectomy for esophageal and cardiac carcinoma. Methods Thirty nine patients with esophageal and cardiac carcinoma were divided into two groups according to surgical procedure. Group of anastomosis above aortic arch （n = 21）： esophagogastrostomy was performed above the aortic arch in patients with esophageal carcinoma of the middle third; group of anastomosis below aortic arch（n= 18）： esophagogastrostomy was performed below the aortic arch in patients with esophageal carcinoma of the low third and cardiac carcinoma. Six health volunteers without gastroesophageal reflux were recruited as control group. Esophageal manometry and upper alimentary tract roentgenography were performed in all patients. Results There was a high pressure zone at the anastomotic orifice in parts of patients of both anastomosis groups. The resting pressure of remnant esophagus was higher than that in control group （P〈0. 05）, and similar to the resting pressure of intrathoracic stomach （P〉0. 05）. There was no significant difference in resting pressure of remnant esophagus and intrathoracic stomach between two anastomosis groups （P〉0.05）. The amplitude and number of primary peristalsis in remnant esophagus of group of anastomosis above aortic arch were significantly reduced in comparison with control group. The number of primary peristalsis in remnant esophagus of group of anastomosis above aortic arch was significantly lower than that of group of anastomosis below aortic arch （P〈0. 05）. The motility in the body of intrathoracic stomach was not observed. Weak motor activity of the gastric antrum was observed with upper alimentary tract roentgenography after surgery and evidently recovered 1 year after surgery. Conclusions The resting pressure of remnant esophagus and intrathoracic stomach is not influenced by the site of anastomosis. Esophagogastric anastomosis at the upper thorax is likely to result in poor motility of remnant esophagus. The motor activity of intrathoracic stomach becomes weak after esophagectomy and then recovers gradually over time, hut still fail to return to normal level.
ObjectivesTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of hydrotalcite in the treatment of reflux esophagitis (RE).MethodsCBM, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched online to collect randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of hydrotalcite or hydrotalcite plus PPI versus PPI alone in the treatment of RE from inception to June 30th, 2017. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsA total of 15 RCTs involving 1 655 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that: after 4-8 weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference between hydrotalcite vs. PPI regarding RE healing rates (RR=0.87, 95%CI 0.76 to 1.00, P=0.05). However, there were significant increases in RE healing rate (RR=1.22, 95%CI 1.14 to 1.31, P<0.001) and symptom relief rate (RR=1.36, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.66,P<0.01) between hydrotalcite plus PPIvs. PPI alone. Similar increases of RE healing rate (RR=1.16, 95%CI 1.08 to 1.25, P<0.001) and symptom relief rate (RR=1.12, 95%CI 1.04 to 1.20,P<0.01) were seen in patients with refractory RE. No increase of adverse effect rate was shown with hydrotalcite or hydrotalcite plus PPI compared to PPI alone.ConclusionsCompared with PPI alone, hydrotalcite plus PPI confers a statistically significant improvement of healing rate and symptom relief rate, while it does not increase adverse effect rate. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are required to verify above conclusions.
Objective To provide a reliable experimental model for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) study. Methods Twenty Japan 5-month-old male rabbits wererandomly divided into two groups: group cardiomyotomy(n=10), group partial cardiomyectomy(n=10). The operations of cardiomyotomy and parital cardiomyectomy were performed in 2 groups respectively. All the animals underwent intraesophagealpH detection 1 week before operation and 4 weeks after operation. The mean changes of reflux ratios were compared between before operation and after operation.Results In gastroesophageal reflux ratio between before operation and after operation, there was no significant difference in group cardiomyotomy (1.98%±1.52% and 4.32%±2.39%, Pgt;0.05) and there was significant difference in group partialcardiomyectomy（1.56%±1.57% and 13.56%±3.27%, Plt;0.05）. Conclusion The reliable experimental model of GER can be made with procedure of partial cardiomyectomy. It can be used in estimating the operative procedure of antireflux and is conducive to dynamic observation and study of esophagitis.
ObjectiveTo present the safety and efficiency of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for hiatal hernia in elderly patients. MethodsClinical data of 35 elderly patients with hiatal hernia who underwent laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College between August 2013 and March 2014 was retrospectively analyzed. ResultsAll patients underwent laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. The operation time was 72-minute in average (65-105 minutes) and intraoperative blood loss was 30 mL in average (10-120 mL). The mean value of postoperative hospital stay was 5-day (3-23 days). Patients' stomachs and esophagus were restored to normal position after surgery. No complication was noted except 2 patients had mild gastroesophageal reflux after operation, and 1 patient suffered from transient dysphagia after operation, all the symptoms subsided after conservative treatment. Afterwards, 33 of them achieved follow-up for 6 to 12 months (mean of 8.5 months), the other 2 patients were lost to follow-up. During the follow-up period, a questionnaire regarding to the criteria for Reflux Diagnostic Questionnaire (RDQ) score were conducted in the 33 patients, and the results showed that the symptoms including acid reflux, heartburn, chest pain, cough, dyspnea, lump sensation in the pharynx, and hoarseness were improved significantly in 6 months after operation (P<0.05), and no recurrence was found during the follow-up period. ConclusionLaparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is a safe operation for elderly patients with hiatal hernia, and it can achieve good clinical result.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects of laparoscopic hiatus reconstruction with Bard Crurosoft patch associated with Nissen fundoplication in elderly patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). MethodsFrom July 2006 to July 2009, 22 consecutive elderly patients （≥65 years） with GERD underwent laparoscopic hiatus reconstruction associated with Nissen fundoplication， 10 of them underwent laparoscopic Crurosoft patch hiatus reconstruction (hiatus diameter≥5 cm in 2 patients， lt;5 cm in 8 patients) and 12 underwent laparoscopic simple sutured hiatus reconstruction (hiatus diameter≥5 cm in 2 patients， lt;5 cm in 10 patients). Intra and perioperative data including symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia, and respiratory complications), functional evaluations (esophagogastroscopy, manometric evaluations in lower esophageal segment, and 24 h pH-monitoring values) were compared and analyzed. ResultsPatients in 2 groups had similar preoperative values in demographics, symptom scores, functional evaluations, as well as operative data except for mean operative time. Three-month and 1-year follow-up after operation, the results of symptoms scores and functional evaluations of patients in 2 groups compared with preoperative values wear improved （Plt;0.05）, but symptoms scores and functional evaluations of patients in patch group were evaluated to demonstrate more significant improvement than suture group （Plt;0.05）. In suture group, the results of 3 months after operation were better than 1 year after operation, with statistically significant difference （Plt;0.05）. Two patients underwent postoperative intrathoracic immigration of wrap in suture group, but this complication did not happen in patch group （Plt;0.05）. ConclusionsLaparoscopic hiatus reconstruction with Bard Crurosoft patch associated with Nissen fundoplication is a safe and effective treatment for elderly patients(≥65 years) with GERD.
Objective To investigate the different clinical features of chronic cough induced by rhinitis /sinusitis or gastro-esophageal reflux, and its significance for etiological diagnosis of chronic cough.Methods Chronic cough patients were recruited from respiratory medicine clinic in Chongqing Xinqiao Hospital from December 2009 to December 2010. Medical history, symptoms and signs were recorded from all selected patients. The patients with chronic rhinitis / sinusitis, but without gastro-esophageal reflux symptoms were suspected upper airway cough syndrome ( UACS) , and given chlorpheniramine, nasal decongestant, and corticosteroid treatment for 1 week. The patients with clinical symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux or with history of gastric diseases were suspected gastroesophaged reflux-related cough ( GERC) , were given esomeprazole ( 40 mg, bid) , combined prokinetic agent for 2 weeks. The patients were confirmed the diagnosis of UACS or GERC when their cough was relieved after the above targeted treatment.Results 114 patients were enrolled in this study. 47 patients were suspected GERC, of which 32 were confirmed, and 67 patients were suspected UACS, of which 43 were confirmed. There was no significant difference in age, duration of disease, severity of cough, proportion of night cough, proportion of clear throat symptom, or proportion of cobblestone sign between the UACS patients and the GERC patients ( P gt;0. 05) .There were more females in the GERC patients and more males in the UACS patients ( P lt; 0. 05) . Cough with sputum, throat symptoms and signs were more common in the UACS patients ( P lt;0. 05) . The hoarseness and sore throat symptoms were found only in the GERC patients, but postnasal drip symptoms were found only in the UACS patients. Conclusions Throat signs and symptoms are not completely similiar in the GERC and the UACS patients. Comprehensive judgments combining with patient history,characteristics of concurrent cough, throat symptoms, and signs can provide important references for the clinical diagnosis of chronic cough caused by rhinitis/ sinusitis or gastro-esophageal reflux.
ObjectiveTo explore and analyze the clinical diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is manifested mainly as stubborn pharyngitis. MethodsFrom February 2010 to December 2012, 79 cases were diagnosed as stubborn pharyngitis and otolaryngology standard treatment was invalid. GERD questionnaire ratings and conventional endoscopy were performed for patients with obvious manifestations of stubborn pharyngitis shown on the laryngoscopy. They were randomly divided into treatment group (n=40) and control group (n=39). Patients in the treatment group accepted esomeprazole 40 mg, qd, for 12 weeks; and patients in the control group had sucralfate suspension 15 mL bid for 12 weeks. At the three observation points which are 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment began, clinical symptom score and pharyngeal inflammatory changes were recorded, and at the end of the treatment, all patients underwent endoscopy, and esophageal mucosal healing was observed. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups of patients in terms of general data. After the treatment, the symptom scores were significantly decreased in the treatment group at the three observation points (P<0.05). The same situation happened also in the control group, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The symptom scores between the two groups after treatment were significantly different (P<0.5). And the effective rate for local pharyngeal infection was 83.9% and 41.4% in the treatment group and the control group respectively (P<0.05). ConclusionSome atypical GERDs feature by the symptoms of stubborn pharyngitis. Clinically, patients with long-term stubborn pharyngitis should be screened to exclude the possibility of GERD. esomeprazole therapy can significantly improve the pharyngitis symptoms and relieve local inflammation.
Objective To review the clinical experience of Heller myotomy for treatment of achalasia through a small thoracotomy. Methods Twenty-five patients with achalasia (9 moderate, 16 severe) underwent Heller myotomy without concomitant antireflux procedure through a small incision. A left thoracotomy was carried out through either the seventh or eighth intercostals space. The length of skin incision was 6 to 8 cm. Results There was no hospital death and severe postoperative complications. The mean operating time was 50 minutes. Mean hospital stay was 10 days. There was one intraoperative perforation and repaired successfully. All patients reported good to excellent relief of dysphagia and no symptom of gastroesophageal reflux after surgery. Eight patients were subsequently studied with a 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and no evidence of pathologic reflux found. Conclusions Transthoracic Heller myotomy with a small incision is effective and safe method for treatment of achalasia with minimal invasion, quick recovery, less postoperative complication and shorter hospital stay. Proper extent of the myotomy may decrease the risk of subsequent gastroesophageal reflux in the postoperative period.