REVIEW ARTICLE - CONTROVERSY IN THE THERAPY OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE - LONG-TERM PROTON PUMP INHIBITION OR LAPAROSCOPIC ANTIREFLUX SURGERY

The treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is controversial, W hilst medical treatment is successful in patients with mild to moderat e disease, the threshold of severity above which an operation should b e contemplated remains a matter for debate. Laparoscopic anti-reflux s urgery may be lowering this threshold, as this form of therapy provide s several advantages over its open counterpart, but it is not without risk, and few long-term results are available. This article reviews tr eatment options for reflux disease and examines the relative position of current medical and surgical therapies.