AN INDEX TO PREDICT OUTCOME OF SURGERY FOR REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS BASED ON THE AFP CLASSIFICATION

Fifteen patients with reflux esophagitis were treated surgically from July 1990 to April 1994, We evaluated these patients using the anatomi c-functional-pathologic (AFP) classification both prior to and followi ng the operation, An objective index for surgical outcome was devised. By using the grades Ai, Fj, and Ph, the i(2) + j(2) + k(2) score was determined. The scores ranged from 3 to 22 (mean 9.1 +/- 5.4) prior to the operation, Postoperatively, 12 (80%) of 15 patients showed a comp lete recovery with a numerical score of 0, and their symptoms also dis appeared, The scores of these 12 patients prior to the operation range d between 3 and 11, However, the other 3 patients did not exhibit a co mplete recovery. Their scores prior to the operation ranged between 17 and 22, and the symptoms in 2 of these 3 patients persisted following the operation, These results suggest that surgical treatment for refl ux esophagitis can be expected to be successful if the preoperative AF P score is less than 11.