Obesity Surgery Can Ease Reflux Disease

More than 90% of morbidly obese patients who had gastric bypass surgery to lose weight experienced significant improvement or resolution of their gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, according to a study published in the July issue of Surgical Endoscopy.

Obesity is a major risk factor for GERD. An estimated 50-70% of patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery also have GERD. The study involved 152 patients who met the criteria for GERD, had daily symptoms, and required medical management. All patients underwent minimally invasive (Roux-En-Y) gastric bypass surgery. Afterward, they reported a significant decrease in GERD symptoms, including heartburn (from 87% to 22%), wheezing (from 40% to 5%), and laryngitis (from 17% to 7%). Chronic medication for GERD decreased from 100% to 3% after the surgery. One year after the surgery, the mean excess weight loss was 68%.

"Gastric bypass, as opposed to fundoplication or other antireflux procedures, may be a more appropriate surgical approach since it is effective in treating GERD as well as many other serious co-morbidities,” said Philip Schauer, M.D., senior author of the study and director of bariatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (PA; USA).




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Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine