Husfeldt hernia repair: indications and results. A follow-up study.

Ninety-seven consecutive patients with hiatal hernia were operated upon with a modified Husfeldt hernia repair during a ten-year period. Thirty-two of the patients had severe reflux complications, such as ulcerative oesophagitis, oesophageal stricture and shortened oesophagus. Ninety patients were carefully followed up postoperatively. The mean duration of follow-up was 5 years. Analysis of the postoperative results in relation to the type of hernia showed no difference between sliding and combined hernia. Recurrence of hernia, unsatisfactory clinical results and gastro-oesophageal reflux were recorded more often in patients with severe reflux complications. The main cause of unsatisfactory results in these patients was found to be a shortened oesophagus. The method proved to be a reliable procedure for surgical treatment of not only uncomplicated hernias, but also cases complicated by oesophageal stricture if the stricture was not associated with shortened oesophagus. It is considered that a shortened oesophagus is a contra-indication for employment of the Husfeldt method.