Severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Medical and surgical options for long-term care.

Severe gastroesophageal reflux disease is usually a chronic problem with periods of relapse, but effective medical and surgical therapies are available. Two recently introduced agents, omeprazole (Prilosec) and cisapride (Propulsid), represent advances in medical therapy; the safety of long-term, continuous omeprazole therapy is under investigation. Used by surgeons with sufficient experience, the new laparoscopic approach offers potential advantages over conventional anti-reflux surgery in suitable candidates. The decision of whether to recommend long-term medical therapy or surgery must be individualized. Medical therapy may be the best choice in elderly patients and poor surgical candidates, in patients whose symptoms are well controlled with omeprazole and who accept its benefit-risk profile, and when a highly experienced anti-reflux surgeon is not available. Surgery may be appropriate (assuming a skilled surgeon is available) in patients who are young, have trouble taking medication, need multiple agents to control symptoms, and need continuous omeprazole therapy but are unwilling to accept the theoretical risk of gastric carcinoid tumors that accompanies it.