[Posterior gastro-esophago-phreno-plasty (PGEPP) in the treatment of hiatal hernia and of esophagogastric reflux. Experience in over 500 cases. Anterior gastro-esophago-phreno-plasty (AGEPP) in the prevention of sliding hiatal hernia and of esophagogastric reflux. Experience in over 300 cases].

On the basis of the anatomophysiological assumption that the abdominal oesophagus is kept in its seat by the meso-oesophagus and that the complex functional role of the gastro-oesophageal junction is conditioned essentially by the inferior oesophageal sphincter under the influence of intra-abdominal and endogastric pressure variables, posterior gastro-oesophagophreno-plasty (p.g.p.p.) is proposed to offset the destruction or severe insufficiency of the meso-oesophagus and hence for the treatment of hiatal hernia and of regurgitation. This retro-oesophageal tuberous valve involves simultaneous fixation of the stomach and oesophagus to the pillars of the diaphragm, first on the right and then on the left, and the fixation of the fundus to the left diaphragmatic dome. Anterior gastro-oesophago-phreno-plasty is proposed on the basis of the finding that damage of any kind to the meso-oesophagus can cause the oesophagus to rise in the chest and thus disturb inferior sphincter function and possibly lead to the onset of regurgitation and hernia. The pre-oesophageal tuberous valve employed involves simultaneous fixation of stomach and oesophagus to the pillars of the diaphragm, first left and then right, and the fixation of the fundus to the left diaphragmatic dome. Anterior plasty is almost always confined to patients who have undergone vagotomy of the trunk without complex isolation of the oesophagus.