Comparison of Treatment Outcome and Cost-effectiveness for GERD

Comparison of Treatment Effectiveness and Evaluation of Cost Between Surgical and Non-surgical Treatment for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of laparoscopic antireflux surgery for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) comparing with that of non-surgical treatment.

To treat GERD, the most patients with GERD are managed with acid suppressive medication first, and followed by antireflux surgery when the medical therapy is not effective or when the patient prefer surgery to quit the medicine.

This study has a single cohort in which the patient has the past history of GERD and medical treatment with proton pump inhibitors, and has scheduled to have laparoscopic antireflux surgery for treatment of GERD.

Treatment outcome of surgery will be evaluated comparing with the outcome of medical treatment before registration.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Objectively diagnosed GERD
• Past history of medical treatment with PPI more than 8 weeks at any time before antireflux surgery
• Patients scheduled to undergo antireflux surgery to treat GERD

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other pathologic condition in upper gastrointestinal tract which needs surgical treatment
• No (or less than 8 weeks) past history of acid suppressive medical therapy with PPI
• Patients who underwent endoscopic antireflux procedure