CT OF NISSENS FUNDOPLICATION

The aim of this work is to describe the computed tomographic (CT) anat omy in patients who underwent Nissen's fundoplication, Forty patients (mean age = 61 years) with peptic esophagitis (nine cases), refractory gastroesophageal reflux (11 cases), and hiatal hernia (20 cases) were studied. Examinations were performed by third-generation CT equipment , with patients in the prone position after the ingestion of gastrovis on and barium paste. In 34 patients, the examination demonstrated anat omical variations related to surgery, that is, the presence of a soft tissue mass at the level of the distal third of the esophagus, In four patients, a functional incompetence of the fundoplication (three case s) and a recurrent hiatal hernia (one case) were demonstrated. Our res ults suggest a possible application for CT study in postoperative foll ow up of patients who undergo Nissen's fundoplication, complementary t o endoscopy and functional exams.