Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication

Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication surgery is an important option for certain patients with chronic and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a condition that causes food or stomach acid to come back up from your stomach and into your esophagus. By doing so, it can cause heartburn and other uncomfortable symptoms.

In its severe form it can cause ulcerations and irritation which can result in a condition known as Barretts Esophagus that can cause esophagael cancer.

The laparoscopic surgical procedure

Called “fundoplication”, the laparoscopic procedure is performed to correct conditions causing gastroesophageal reflux disease. The surgeon wraps the upper part of the stomach around the lower end of the esophagus and re-establishes the weakened lower esophageal sphincter. By doing so, this can prevent the reflux of acid from travelling up from the stomach up into the esophagus.

To achieve this, your surgeon will make 3 – 5 very small incisions in your belly. A laparoscope (a thin, hollow tube with a tiny camera on the end) will be inserted through one of these incisions and other instruments through the other incisions.

The laparoscope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room and allows the surgeon to see inside your belly and perform the repair. If there is a lot of bleeding, scar tissue from other surgeries or if you are overweight, your surgeon may opt to perform an open surgical procedure to correct the condition.

Reasons for performing the procedure

Your doctor may suggest Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication surgery to treat gastroesophageal disease when:

• Symptoms of heartburn get better when you use medicines, but you do not want to keep taking these medicines. Symptoms of heartburn include burning in the stomach that you may also feel in your throat or chest, burping or gas bubbles, or trouble swallowing food or fluids.
• Part of your stomach is getting stuck in your chest or is twisting around itself. This is called a para-esophageal hernia.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease is causing other serious problems such as strictures (a narrowing of your esophagus), ulcers in your esophagus, and bleeding in your esophagus.
• You have gastroesophageal reflux disease and aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection caused by breathing the stomach contents into the lungs), a chronic cough, or hoarseness.

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