New method of preoperative selection of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

Introduction
The identification of sliding hiatal hernia (SHH) less than 3 cm in size using barium swallow fluoroscopy (BSF) and oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) was recently noted as a non-reliable method, allowing for approximately 2 cm of inherent error in its size estimate.

Aim of the research
We aimed to develop a reliable method, which could be used for preoperative visualisation and accurate anatomic depiction of any hiatal hernia and anatomical abnormalities in patients with incomplete gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) symptom remission after appropriate medical therapy.

Material and methods
Within the period 2015–2017, 29 GORD patients (15 women, mean age 51 years) with incomplete symptom resolution on acid inhibition and equivocal findings as for SHH after endoscopy and/or BSF, were evaluated before laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (LARS) using a computed tomography scan with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (CTSBT) provocation probe to confirm hernia existence. We calculated the sensitivity of each of these diagnostic tests.

Results
SHH was diagnosed in 21 patients by OGD and/or BSF, but during the surgery this diagnosis was confirmed in 18 patients. The sensitivity was found to be significantly higher in CTSBT modality, comparing with each of the other diagnostic tests and even higher than in OGD and BSF together.

Conclusions
CTSBT has been verified as the most efficient method to confirm or rule out SHH diagnosis or other anatomical abnormalities, which could be used to provide a surgeon with detailed information while making a decision about the advisability of LARS.