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Background: Attention has been focused on the amplitude of esophageal body contraction to avoid persistent dysphagia after a Nissen fundoplication. The current recommended level is a contraction amplitude in the distal third of esophagus above the fifth percentile. We hypothesized that a more physiologic approach is to measure outflow resistance imposed by a fundoplication, which needs to be overcome by the esophageal contraction amplitude., Study Design: The esophageal outflow resistance, as reflected by the intra-bolus pressure (iBP) measured 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), was measured in 53 normal subjects and 37 reflux patients with normal esophageal contraction amplitude, before and after a standardized Nissen fundoplication. All were free of postoperative dysphagia. A test population of 100 patients who had a Nissen fundoplication was used to validate the threshold of outflow resistance to avoid persistent postoperative dysphagia., Results: The mean (SD) amplitude of the iBP in normal subjects was 6.8 (3.7) mmHg and in patients before fundoplication was 3.6 (7.0) mmHg (p = 0.003). After Nissen fundoplication, the mean (SD) amplitude of the iBP increased to 12.0 (3.2) mmHg (p < 0.0001 vs normal subjects or preoperative values). The 95th percentile value for iBP after a Nissen fundoplication was 20.0 mmHg and was exceeded by esophageal contraction in all patients in the validation population, and 97% of these patients were free of persistent postoperative dysphagia at a median 50-month follow-up., Conclusions: Nissen fundoplication increases the outflow resistance of the esophagus and should be constructed to avoid an iBP > 20 mmHg. Patients whose distal third esophageal contraction amplitude is >20 mmHg have a minimal risk of dysphagia after a tension-free Nissen fundoplication., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Goblet cells in Barrett's esophagus (BE) vary in their density within the Barrett's segment. Exposure of Barrett's epithelium to bile acids is a major stimulant for goblet cell formation. The dissociation of bile acids into forms that penetrate Barrett's epithelium is known to be pH dependent. We hypothesized that variations in the esophageal luminal pH environment explains the variability in goblet cell density. The aim of this study was to correlate esophageal luminal pH with goblet cell density in patients with BE., Methods: A customized six-sensor pH catheter was positioned with the most distal sensor in the stomach and the remaining sensors located 1 cm below and 1, 3, 5, and 8 cm above the upper border of the lower esophageal sphincter in five normal subjects and six patients with long-segment BE. The luminal pH was measured by each sensor for 24-h and expressed as median pH. Patients with BE had four quadrant biopsies at levels corresponding to the location of the pH sensors. Goblet cell density was graded from 0 to 3 based on the number per high-power field., Results: In normal subjects, the median pH values recorded in the sensors within the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and esophageal body were all above 5. In patients with BE, the median pH recorded by the sensor within the LES was 2.8 and increased progressively to 4.7 in the sensor at 8 cm above the LES. Goblet cell density was significantly lower in the distal Barrett's segment exposed to a median pH of 2.2 and increased in the proximal Barrett's segment exposed to a median pH of 4.4 (p = 0.003)., Conclusion: Patients with BE have a goblet cell gradient that correlates directly with an esophageal luminal pH gradient. This suggests that goblet cell differentiation is pH dependent and likely due to the effect of pH on bile acid dissociation.

It is proposed that epithelial changes induced by gastroesophageal reflux disease are related to the pH environment of the esophageal lumen. We hypothesized that the various types of esophageal epithelium are associated with specific pH environments that induce their formation. The aim of this study was to compare the luminal pH environment to the histology of the distal esophageal epithelium in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. A total of 197 symptomatic patients with increased esophageal acid exposure on 24-hour pH monitoring were grouped according to the histology based on biopsies from the distal esophagus: 17 with squamous epithelium, 126 with cardiac epithelium (CE), and 54 with Barrett's epithelium (BE). All were free of Helicobacter pylori infection and monitored off acid suppression therapy. Acid exposure was expressed as the percent of time the luminal pH was at intervals of 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, and 6-7 over a 24-hour period. Patients with BE spent significantly more time at pH intervals 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5 than those with CE. This pattern switched at pH interval 5-6, where patients with cardiac mucosa spent more time than those with BE. Patients with squamous and CE had similar pH exposure at all intervals. Patients with BE have significantly longer exposure time at the pH interval of 2 to 5 compared to those with cardiac and squamous epithelium. This suggests that the exposure of stem cells to a luminal pH between 2 and 5 may trigger the differentiation of CE into intestinalized CE.

Introduction: The timed barium study (TBS) is used to assess esophageal emptying in patients with achalasia. Improvement in emptying correlates with outcome after endoscopic therapy, but the results of the TBS have been variable after myotomy. Our aim was to evaluate a new method for assessing improvement in emptying after myotomy., Methods: A TBS was performed before and 3-6 months after myotomy in 30 patients. Emptying was assessed by measuring the percent difference in area of the barium column on films obtained 1 and 5 min after ingesting 150 ml of barium. Initial esophageal clearance was also assessed by comparing the area of the barium column on 1-min images obtained before and after therapy. Both measures were compared to clinical outcome., Results: After myotomy, 21 patients (70%) had no symptoms, four (13%) had mild, and five (17%) had moderate/severe symptoms. Using the standard method, esophageal emptying before and after surgery were not significantly different (25% vs. 37%; p = 0.22) and did not correlate with clinical outcome. In contrast, initial esophageal clearance improved significantly (median 81%) and correlated with clinical outcome., Conclusion: Esophageal emptying measured by the standard method is not useful to assess outcome after myotomy. However, initial esophageal clearance correlates well with clinical outcome.

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has emerged as an effective weight-loss procedure for morbid obesity that is also effective for treating comorbidities such as diabetes. However, it has been associated with the development of GERD postoperatively. The pathophysiology of post-LSG GERD is unknown, and current studies have shown conflicting results. The aim of our study is to shed light on this issue by investigating the effect of LSG on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function and the relationship of LES function to GERD symptoms.Methods: A prospective study of patients undergoing LSG from 10/2013 to 8/2014 at a single academic tertiary referral center was carried out. Patients undergoing a concomitant procedure such as hiatal hernia repair or laparoscopic gastric band removal were excluded. Distensibility of the LES was measured after pneumoperitoneum and after LSG. Baseline GERD-HRQL was obtained with follow-up GERD-HRQL and weight at 3 and 6 months. The primary outcomes measured were LES distensibility and GERD-HRQL scores after LSG. Our secondary outcome was a correlation between LES distensibility and GERD-HRQL scores after LSG.Results: Fifteen subjects were enrolled (5M/10F). Mean age was 51 years (30-71 years), and mean BMI 45 kg/m2 (30-58). We were able to obtain follow-up data for all patients at 3 months. Mean LES distensibility increased from 1.2 before LSG to 2.2 after LSG (p = 0.017). Median GERD-HRQL was 0 before LSG and remained essentially negative at 1 and 0 (3 and 6 months postoperatively, respectively). Three (27 %) of the patients had de novo GERD at 3 months following LSG. One (25 %) patient had remission of GERD. There was no correlation between LES distensibility and GERD symptoms.Conclusion: While LSG weakens the LES immediately, it does not predictably affect postoperative GERD symptoms; therefore, distensibility is not the only factor affecting development of postoperative GERD, confirming the multifactorial nature of post-LSG GERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) often complain of dysphagia and are frequently found to have intraepithelial eosinophils on esophageal biopsy.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dysphagia and the number of intraepithelial eosinophils in patients with GERD.Methods: Review of all patients studied in our esophageal function laboratory from 1999 to 2007 identified 1,533 patients with increased esophageal acid exposure. Patients who complained of dysphagia without mechanical or motor causes were identified and divided into three groups based on whether dysphagia was their primary, secondary or tertiary symptom. A control group consisted of randomly selected GERD patients with no dysphagia. The highest number of intraepithelial eosinophils per high-power field (HPF) in biopsies from the squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) and esophageal body was compared across groups.Results: There were 71 patients with unexplained dysphagia. Dysphagia was the primary symptom in 13 (18%), secondary symptom in 34 (48%), and tertiary symptom in 24 (34%) patients. The number of eosinophils differed between the four groups, with the highest number in those with dysphagia as the primary symptom (P = 0.0007). This relationship persisted whether biopsies were from the SCJ (P = 0.0057) or esophageal body (P = 0.0096).Conclusion: An association exists between the number of intraepithelial eosinophils and dysphagia in GERD patients, with the highest number of eosinophils in those with the primary symptom of dysphagia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with respiratory and laryngeal symptoms are commonly referred for evaluation of reflux disease as a potential cause. Dual-probe pH monitoring is often performed, although data on normal acid exposure in the proximal esophagus are limited because of the small number of normal subjects and inconsistent placement of the proximal pH sensor in relation to the upper esophageal sphincter. We measured proximal esophageal acid exposure using dual-probe pH and calculated a composite pH score in a large number of asymptomatic volunteers to better define normal values. Study Design: Eighty-one normal subjects free of reflux, laryngeal, or respiratory symptoms were recruited. All had video esophagraphy to exclude hiatal hernia. Esophageal pH monitoring was performed using 1 of 3 different dual-probe catheters with sensors spaced 10, 15, or 18 cm apart. The standard components of esophageal acid exposure were measured, excluding meal periods. A composite pH score for the proximal esophagus was calculated using these components. Results: The final study population consisted of 59 (49% male) subjects, with a median age of 27 years. All had normal distal esophageal acid exposure and no hiatal hernia. The 95th percentile values for the percent time the pH was < 4 for the total, upright, and supine periods were 0.9%, 1.2%, and 0.4%, respectively. The 95th percentile for the number of reflux episodes was 24 and for the calculated proximal esophageal composite pH score was 16.4. Conclusions: In a large population of normal subjects, we have defined the normal values and calculated a composite pH score for proximal esophageal acid exposure. The total percent time pH < 4 was similar to previously published normal values, but the number of reflux episodes was greater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]