Gastroesophageal reflux after repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Seventy-four survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair were reviewed for gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Twenty-nine patients had a prenatal diagnosis of CDH, 31 had the diagnosis established during the first 60 minutes of life, and 14 had a late diagnosis. Fifty-seven of the 60 patients with a prenatal diagnosis or diagnosis at birth had their CDH repaired during the first 24 hours of life. Thirty-six of the 37 patients with clinical signs of GER and 10 patients without typical clinical signs had documented GER. The overall incidence of GER was 62% (46 of 74). The 46 comprised 22 of the 29 patients (75.8%) with a prenatal diagnosis of CDH, 21 of the 31 (67.7%) with a diagnosis at birth, and 3 of the 14 with a late diagnosis. Eleven patients had surgical treatment of GER. A significant correlation was found between GER and the preoperative thoracic position of the stomach (32 v 8, GER+ v GER-; P < .01) and GER and the prenatal diagnosis of CDH (22 v 7, GER+ v GER-; P < .01). Duration of artificial ventilation (68.97 +/- 15.33 days v 14.14 +/- 3.89 days, GER+ v GER-; P < .005) and duration of hospitalization (22.04 +/- 3.59 weeks v 3.9 +/- 0.88 weeks, GER+ v GER-; P < .0003) were significantly longer for the patients with pathological GER. To decrease the morbidity related to GER, we propose using diaphragmatic patches during hernia repair to lower the strain on the crus, and using parietal patches to lower intraabdominal pressure after reintroduction of the herniated viscera.