Surgery for gastro-oesophageal reflux: the Angelchik prosthesis compared to the floppy Nissen fundoplication. Two-year follow-up study and a five-year evaluation of the Angelchik prosthesis.

Twenty-two patients were followed for 5 years after insertion of an Angelchik prosthesis for gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) and the 2-year results compared with a subsequent group of 28 patients treated by floppy Nissen fundoplication. The overall clinical results of the two procedures were equivalent at 2 years (Angelchik Visick 1 and 2, 80%; Nissen Visick 1 and 2, 78%) but the reasons for failure were different. In the Angelchik group failures were due to mechanical problems associated with the device, whereas the Nissen failures were mainly due to recurrent GOR. There were no patients in the Angelchik group with recurrent reflux at 5 years, but between 4 and 5 years postoperatively four patients developed mild dysphagia. The Angelchik prosthesis appears to be as effective as the floppy Nissen fundoplication, but further long-term studies are required before its widespread use can be recommended.