[Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux by modified Hill's posterior cardiopexy. Apropos of 441 cases].

Between 1972 and 1986, 490 modified Hill's procedures were performed for gastro-esophageal reflux; 441 cases were retrospectively studied consisting of 245 males and 196 females, aged from 4 days to 83 years, with a mean age of 41 years. Average duration of gastrointestinal symptoms was 5.4 years. The proposed technique is described, allowing cardiopexy without intraoperative manometry. Mortality was 1.4% (6 cases); one death was due to surgery. Morbidity was 5.4% (24 cases). With a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, a clinical cure was obtained in 93.5% of cases. Causes of failures were analyzed: the only possible pre-operative factor was the presence of peptic stenosis. Pylorospasm appeared to be a post-operative cause of failure. The 28 patients for whom surgery failed were medically treated (18), dilated (5) or reoperated (5). Three new cardiopexies and 2 fundoplications cured the last 5 patients with a mean follow-up of 5.8 years. Recurrences of symptoms and discoveries of failure were generally detected early after the operation: 20 before 6 months (71%), 1 between 6 months and 1 year, 2 between 1 and 2 years, 3 between 3 and 4 years, 1 between 4 and 5 years.