[Long-term evolution of esophago-gastric junctions surgically treated to correct gastro-esophageal reflux. 111 cases].

One hundred eleven patients underwent a surgical procedure for correction of intractable gastroesophageal reflux. Twenty children were severely mentally retarded. The range of follow up was 6 months to 15 years. Upper gastro-intestinal series was realised at tenth post-operative day for 111 children, then during the first year for 97 children, between the first and fifth year for 62 children and after the fifth year for 25 children. The first upper gastro-intestinal control (at tenth day) was normal for 111 patients. Next controls revealed, usually during the first post-operative year, an esophago-gastric junction anomaly for 49 patients (44%). Most of them are light (41/111 = 37%): occasional reflux (9 children; more frequent without pyloroplasty) of little paraesophageal hernia (32 children; more frequent with closure of esophageal hiatus by two suture lines, with esophageal fixation on median arcuatum ligament or without esophageal fixation on esophageal hiatus); these light anomalies are symptom free and sometimes transitories. Rarely, anomalies are important (8/111 = 7%): big paraesophageal hernia of recurrence (more frequent with partial posterior fundoplication and in children severely mentally retarded); five patients were symptomatic and had to be reoperated. Also now, we don't use partial posterior fundoplication and in mentally retarded children we prefer a Collis procedure.