Impact of Age on Long-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication—A Single Center Study

Abstract

Background and objectives: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease affecting approximately 20% of the adult population. This study aimed to compare the results of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) in the treatment of GERD in patients of different age groups. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent LNF in one surgical department between 2014 and 2018. Patients were divided into three groups based on age: under 40 years of age, 40–65 years of age, and over 65 years of age. Results: A total of 111 patients (44.1% women) were analyzed in this study. The mean age was 50.2 ±15 years, and the mean follow-up was 50 months ± 16.6 months. Recurrence of symptoms occurred in 23%, 20%, and 23% in each age group, respectively (p = 0.13), and 85%, 89%, and 80% of patients from the respective groups reported that they would recommend the surgery to their relatives (p = 0.66). Furthermore, 83%, 92%, and 73% of patients from the respective age groups reported that they would undergo the surgery again with the knowledge they now had (p = 0.16). Conclusions: Given these results and observations, LNF has been shown to be a good method of treatment for GERD in every age group. In our study, there were no differences found in terms of satisfaction with surgery and associated recommendations between the studied age groups.