Balloon up or balloon away? Examining the management of postoperative dysphagia following fundoplication

Abstract

Dysphagia following laparoscopic fundoplication for medically refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common. In patients without an anatomic defect, it has been hypothesized that the ant reflux wrap may be too tight. Therefore, pneumatic dilation may help relieve the obstruction. While retrospective data support this hypothesis, prospective data are lacking.\xa0\n\xa0\nWe summarize the @GIJournal discussion held on February 17, 2021, during which the article by Schuitenmaker et al. “Pneumatic dilation for persistent dysphagia after ant reflux surgery, a multicentre single-blind randomized sham-controlled clinical trial” was critically reviewed by our expert Dr. John Pandolfino (JP), and moderated by Dr. Marianna Papademetriou (MP).\n\xa0