Surgical Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Ten Patients with Severe Asthma

The surgical cure of gastroesophageal reflux was investigated in 10 asthmatic adults with a mean post-operative follow-up period of 21 months. The patients had severe asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux confirmed by 3-hour post-prandial pH monitoring. Medical treatment for reflux was effective on the clinical signs of the reflux but ineffective on the respiratory signs. The clinical course of the asthma, and 3-hour post-prandial pH monitoring were evaluated before 3, 6, and after 6 months. The reflux was cured by surgery in 8 cases, and improved in two. Immediate post-operative surveillance of the asthma revealed no cure. There were three immediate failures, and two recurrences before 6 months post-operative. Improvement was stable beyond 6 months in 5 patients (suppression or 80% reduction of corticosteroids in 3 cases, considerable reduction in the use of bronchodilators in 2 cases). Our results suggest that the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux may be useful, at least for suppressing an aggravating factor in the respiratory illness.