Hiatus Hernia (hiatus + hernia)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Unspecified abdominal pain in primary care: the role of gastrointestinal morbidity

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 10 2007
M.-A. Wallander
Summary Background:, Many patients with abdominal pain have no obvious cause for their symptoms and receive a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain. Aim:, The objective of this study was to ascertain risk factors and consequences of a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain in primary care. Methods:, A population-based, case,control study was conducted using the UK General Practice Research Database. We identified 29,299 patients with a new diagnosis of abdominal pain, and 30,000 age- and sex-matched controls. Only diagnostic codes that did not specify the type or location of abdominal pain were included. Results and discussion:, The incidence of newly diagnosed unspecified abdominal pain was 22.3 per 1000 person-years. The incidence was higher in females than in males, and 29% of patients were below 20 years of age. Prior gastrointestinal morbidity was associated with abdominal pain, but high body mass index, smoking and alcohol intake were not. Patients newly diagnosed with abdominal pain were 16 to 27 times more likely than controls to receive a subsequent new diagnosis of gallbladder disease, diverticular disease, pancreatitis or appendicitis in the year after the diagnosis of abdominal pain. The likelihood of receiving other gastrointestinal diagnoses such as peptic ulcer disease, hiatus hernia, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or dyspepsia was increased three- to 14-fold among patients consulting for abdominal pain. Conclusion:, When managing abdominal pain in primary care, morbidities such as GERD and IBS should be considered as diagnoses once potentially life-threatening problems have been excluded. [source]


Esophageal motility in patients with sliding hiatal hernia and reflux esophagitis

JOURNAL OF DIGESTIVE DISEASES, Issue 2 2002
Ping YE
OBJECTIVE: To study the radiographic and esophageal motility changes that are characteristic of patients with both sliding hiatus hernia (HH) and reflux esophagitis. METHODS: Thirty patients were diagnosed with HH by using gastroscopy. These patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of their esophagitis: group HH1 (grades A and B, n= 18); group HH2 (grades C and D, n= 12). Sliding HH was confirmed by barium meal examination. Radiographic techniques were used to test for spasms and strictures, the coarseness of the mucosa, and to study the types of reflux and clearance. Esophageal pH (24-h), lower esophageal sphincter pressure and the frequency and amplitude of esophageal peristalsis during reflux were also studied. RESULTS: Radiography revealed that the mucosa was coarse in all cases. Eighty percent of patients had sucking reflux and 36.7% had passive clearance. The percentages of total, supine and upright acid exposure times were greater in patients with HH than those in the controls (P < 0.01), but the difference between the HH1 and HH2 groups was not significant. Lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure was less in the HH group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). However, there were no differences in the length of the sphincter among groups. During episodes of acid reflux, the frequency and amplitude of peristalsis, and the percentage of normal primary esophageal peristalsis were all lower in HH patients than in the controls, and the duration of peristalsis was increased relative to that of the controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sucking reflux and passive clearance are very important in HH. Esophageal acid exposure time does not correlate with the severity of esophagitis. Lowered lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure, decreased frequency and amplitude, and increased duration of esophageal peristalsis during the episode of reflux may play an important role in the pathogenesis of sliding HH. [source]


Review article: the role of surgery in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 12 2007
N. VAKIL
Summary Background, Rates for laparoscopic fundoplication are declining in the United States and there is no consensus on the indications for referral to surgery in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Aim, To highlight recent studies on the outcomes of laparoscopic fundoplication in adults that cast doubt on the traditional indications for surgery in reflux disease. Results, Patients who are well maintained on medical therapy have more to lose with surgical intervention than to gain, and should not be offered surgery. Likewise, the notion that surgery prevents oesophageal cancer is a hypothesis that is not supported by current evidence, therefore surgical intervention should not be offered to these patients. The only clear-cut candidates for surgery include: patients with anatomic abnormalities such as a large hiatus hernia, or those with persistent regurgitation that causes troublesome symptoms despite medical therapy; and carefully selected patients with extra-oesophageal disorders who have symptoms of reflux disease such as heartburn and regurgitation, an incomplete response to medical therapy and persistent plus demonstrable reflux on pH or impedance testing that is associated with their symptoms. Patients should be aware of the high likelihood of needing continued acid inhibitory therapy following surgery and the possibility of side-effects. Conclusion, Only a few carefully selected patients should undergo fundoplication for reflux disease. [source]


Review article: from 1906 to 2006 , a century of major evolution of understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 9 2006
J. DENT
Summary Background Our understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease has undergone significant changes over the last century. Aim To trace the rise in understanding of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and highlight remaining areas of uncertainty. Methods Literature review. Results In 1906, Tileston published his observations on ,peptic ulcer of the oesophagus'. Winkelstein, in 1934, first correlated symptoms of heartburn with acid regurgitation and reflux oesophagitis. In 1946, Allison described hiatus hernia as a causal factor in the development of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. In 1958, Bernstein and Baker showed a direct relationship between oesophageal acidification and heartburn in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, irrespective of endoscopic findings, leading to the recognition of non-erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. In the 1980s, continuous recordings of the lower oesophageal sphincter showed that episodes of reflux were related to transient relaxations of lower oesophageal sphincter tone. There is now increasing recognition that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease arises from the interaction of several anatomical and physiological factors. A turning point in the medical treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease came with the introduction of the first proton pump inhibitor, omeprazole, in 1989. Conclusions Future efforts need to identify the multifactorial interactions of gastro-oesophageal junction anatomy and physiology in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Increased understanding of the disease will guide development of new therapies. [source]


Hypothesis: how might oesophagitis cause hiatus hernia?

NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 5 2003
J. Christensen
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Variation in rapid sequence induction techniques: current practice in Wales

ANAESTHESIA, Issue 1 2009
J. P. Koerber
Summary A questionnaire survey examining rapid sequence induction techniques was sent to all anaesthetists in Wales. The questionnaire presented five common clinical scenarios: emergency appendicectomy; elective knee arthroscopy with a symptomatic hiatus hernia; elective knee arthroscopy with an asymptomatic hiatus hernia; elective Caesarean section; and emergency laparotomy for bowel obstruction. Completed surveys were received from 421 anaesthetists, a 68% response rate. Rapid sequence induction was chosen by 398/400 respondents (100%) for bowel obstruction, 392/399 (98%) for Caesarean section, 388/408 (95%) for appendicectomy, 328/395 (83%) for symptomatic hiatus hernia but only 98/399 (25%) for asymptomatic hiatus hernia (p < 0.001). Trainees were more likely to use a rapid sequence induction technique than consultants and staff grades for the appendicectomy (p = 0.025), symptomatic hiatus hernia (p = 0.004) and asymptomatic hiatus hernia (p = 0.001) scenarios and were also more likely to use a thiopental,suxamethonium combination for rapid sequence induction (p < 0.001). [source]


Preoperative prediction of long-term outcome following laparoscopic fundoplication

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 7 2002
Colm J. O'Boyle
Background: Although long-term outcomes following laparoscopic fundoplication for gastro-oesophageal disease have now been reported as very satisfactory, a small, but important, minority of patients are unhappy with the outcome, often due to recurrent reflux symptoms or new-onset dysphagia. In this study, we sought to establish whether various parameters that can be determined before surgery, can predict the long-term outcome of surgery. Methods: Data collected prospectively were evaluated to determine factors that were associated with outcome at 5 years following laparoscopic fundoplication. Inclusion criteria were complete preoperative assessment data and 5-year follow-up data. Data examined included information on preoperative age, sex, weight, home address, health insurance status, duration of reflux symptoms, previous surgery, operating surgeon, endoscopy and 24-h pH monitoring. In addition, lower oesophageal sphincter resting and residual relaxation pressures were evaluated before and after surgery. The postoperative symptoms of heartburn and dysphagia, as well as overall satisfaction 5 years following surgery was determined using a 0,10 visual analogue scale. The association of the pre- and perioperative factors and outcome at 5 years was determined by univariate and linear regression analysis. Results: Two hundred and sixty-two patients from an overall experience of over 1000 laparoscopic anti-reflux procedures met the entry criteria. There was no association between patient address, age, weight, duration of symptoms, the presence of endoscopically proven oesophagitis, operating surgeon, the necessity for conversion to an open procedure, change in lower oesophageal sphincter residual relaxation pressure and the outcome parameters. Using univariate analysis, a higher heartburn score was associated with previous abdominal surgery, female sex, no private health insurance, and a normal preoperative 24-h pH study. A higher dysphagia score was associated with a normal preoperative pH study, a postoperative increase in lower oesophageal sphincter resting pressure of more than 6 mmHg, and previous abdominal surgery. Overall satisfaction with the outcome at 5 years was higher among male patients, private patients, patients who had a hiatus hernia, and patients who had an abnormal preoperative pH study. Linear regression analysis confirmed that private insurance, male sex, and the absence of previous abdominal surgery, were the strongest predictors of an improved heartburn score, whereas male sex and private health insurance were the strongest predictors of greater satisfaction with the overall outcome. Conclusions: There are parameters that can be assessed before or during laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication that correlate with late outcome parameters. In particular, male patients and those from higher socioeconomic groups appear to have a better long-term outcome. [source]


Changing patterns in the management of gastric volvulus over 14 years

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 3 2000
W. J. Teague
Background: Gastric volvulus is an uncommon condition, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat. This study represents a large series of patients with the condition. Methods: All patients presenting with gastric volvulus over a 14-year period were reviewed. Results: Some 36 patients (median age 75 years) were identified. Volvulus, usually secondary to a hiatus hernia, presented acutely in 29 patients. The major symptoms were abdominal pain, vomiting and upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The most useful investigations were barium contrast studies and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which were helpful in 21 of 25 and 11 of 18 patients respectively. Treatment was conservative in five patients, by open surgery in 13 and laparoscopic repair in 18 (three converted to open operation). There were no major complications and no deaths. Median hospital stay was shorter in patients treated by laparoscopic rather than open surgery (6 (range 4,36) versus 14 (7,50) days; P < 0·05). Conclusion: Acute and chronic gastric volvulus can be treated successfully by either open or laparoscopic surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery now represents a safe and acceptable approach, with minimal morbidity and a significantly shorter hospital stay. This is likely to be of considerable benefit for the treatment of a predominantly elderly population, often with significant co-morbidity. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source]