Faculty Collaboration Database

The prevalence and extent of gastroesophageal reflux disease correlates to the type of lung transplantation. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 2012 Feb;22(1):46-51

Date

02/10/2012

Pubmed ID

22318059

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3709252

DOI

10.1097/SLE.0b013e31824017d4

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84857091980 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   14 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Evidence is increasingly convincing that lung transplantation is a risk factor of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, it is still not known if the type of lung transplant (unilateral, bilateral, or retransplant) plays a role in the pathogenesis of GERD.

STUDY DESIGN: The records of 61 lung transplant patients who underwent esophageal function tests between September 2008 and May 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were divided into 3 groups based on the type of lung transplant they received: unilateral (n=25); bilateral (n=30), and retransplant (n=6). Among these groups we compared: (1) the demographic characteristics (eg, sex, age, race, and body mass index); (2) the presence of Barrett esophagus, delayed gastric emptying, and hiatal hernia; and (3) the esophageal manometric and pH-metric profile.

RESULTS: Distal and proximal reflux were more prevalent in patients with bilateral transplant or retransplant and less prevalent in patients after unilateral transplant, regardless of the cause of their lung disease. The prevalence of hiatal hernia, Barrett esophagus, and the manometric profile were similar in all groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Although our data show a discrepancy in prevalence of GERD in patients with different types of lung transplantation, we cannot determine the exact cause for these findings from this study. We speculate that the extent of dissection during the transplant places the patients at risk for GERD. On the basis of the results of this study, a higher level of suspicion of GERD should be held in patients after bilateral or retransplantation.

Author List

Fisichella PM, Davis CS, Shankaran V, Gagermeier J, Dilling D, Alex CG, Kovacs EJ, Joehl RJ, Love RB

Author

Christopher Stephen Davis MD, MPH Associate Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Barium Sulfate
Barrett Esophagus
Contrast Media
Female
Gastric Emptying
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Hernia, Hiatal
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Lung Transplantation
Male
Manometry
Middle Aged
Monitoring, Ambulatory
Radiography
Radiopharmaceuticals
Reoperation
Retrospective Studies
Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid