Esophageal motor dysfunction persists in children after surgical cure of reflux: an ambulatory manometric study

Evaluation of esophageal motility and reflux in children treated for esophageal atresia with the use of combined multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring

BACKGROUND

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and dysmotility are frequent in patients treated for esophageal atresia (EA). This aim of this study is to evaluate GER and dysmotility in young EA patients using pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII).

METHODS

Fifteen patients with a mean age of 7.5 years (group 1) have been studied and compared with 15 children without congenital malformation, submitted to pH-MII for suspected GER (group 2). These latter patients serve as a control group of healthy subjects. The following impedance reflux and motility parameters have been studied on 10 standardized swallows: number of reflux episodes, mean acid clearing time, median bolus clearing time, bolus presence time, total bolus transit time, segmental transit time, and total propagation velocity.

RESULTS

In the group of EA patients, mean acid clearing time and median bolus clearing time were pathological. In the control group, all reflux parameters were normal. Patients with EA had significantly longer median bolus presence time at each measuring site, median total bolus transit time, and median segmental transit time and slower total propagation velocity (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance evaluates both GER and motility patterns. Our report studies impedance parameters of esophageal motility in healthy children and in EA patients using only pH-MII.

Esophageal smooth muscle reactivity is impaired in chronic reflux esophagitis by both receptor- and nonreceptor-mediated mechanisms

AIM

Esophagitis is associated with an impaired esophageal peristalsis. A few studies have been aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of abnormal peristaltic activity. The mechanism of impaired esophageal smooth muscle reactivity in the chronic gastroesophageal reflux (GER) model is investigated in vitro for the first time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chronic GER rat model was created by partial gastric outlet obstruction. The histopathological findings related to esophagitis were evaluated. Smooth muscle strips of the tunica muscularis mucosa of esophagus were studied in standard organ chambers. Carbachol- and KCl-induced contractile responses and serotonin- and papaverine- induced relaxant responses in both reflux and sham-operated control groups were determined.

RESULTS

Histopathologically, chronic reflux esophagitis was observed in all specimens of the reflux group. Contractile (carbachol- and KCl-induced) smooth muscle responses were significantly decreased in the reflux group. When compared to control group, relaxant response of smooth muscle to serotonin was also significantly decreased in the reflux group. However, there was no difference in papaverine-induced relaxant responses between 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study describes the effects of chronic GER on rat esophageal smooth muscle contractility in vitro. We found that both receptor- (carbachol, serotonin) and nonreceptor-mediated (KCl) esophageal smooth muscle reactivity were impaired in chronic reflux esophagitis. These changes may correspond to the functional motor abnormalities of the esophagus seen in patients with chronic reflux esophagitis.

The effect of hydrocephalus on lower esophageal sphincter smooth muscle reactivity: experimental study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacophysiological significance of the enteric nervous system for the mechanical responses of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) in infantile rats with kaolin-induced hydrocephalus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Hydrocephalus was created in 7-day-old rats by injection of kaolin into the cisterna magna. After 10 days, rats were decapitated. Contractile (KCl, carbachol) and relaxant (isoprenaline, papaverine) responses were determined by using in vitro muscle technique in isolated LES smooth muscle strips.

RESULTS

The receptor-mediated contractile and relaxant response to carbachol and isoprenaline in the LES smooth muscle was impaired in rats with hydrocephalus. There was no significant difference in the KCl and papaverine response in hydrocephalic and sham operated rats.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that hydrocephalus may impair receptor-mediated contractile and relaxant activity of LES smooth muscle leading to gastroesophageal reflux.

Gastrointestinal complications of fundoplication

In children with medically refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), fundoplication is effective and safe. However, in a subset of patients, gastrointestinal dysfunction occurs postoperatively. Symptoms include chest pain, persistent dysphagia in 5%, gas bloat in 2% to 4%, diarrhea in up to 20%, and dumping syndrome in up to 30%. Symptoms are often nonspecific, arising from recurrent or persistent GERD, anatomic complications such as disrupted or herniated wrap, functional disturbances such as rapid gastric emptying or altered gastric accommodation, or alternative diagnoses such as cyclic vomiting syndrome or food allergy. Detailed investigation, including various combinations of pHmetry, videofluoroscopy, endoscopy, motility studies, and dumping provocation testing, may be required to clarify pathophysiology and guide management.

Laparoscopic-assisted jejunostomy

BACKGROUND

Feeding difficulties and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are major problems in severely neurologically impaired children. Many patients are managed with a simple gastrostomy, with or without fundoplication. Unfortunately, fundoplication and gastrostomy are not devoid of complications, indicating the need for other options in the management of these patients.

METHODS

Since January 2002, seven patients (age range, 5-14 years) have been treated by creating a jejunostomy with the laparoscopic-assisted procedure. The procedure was performed using two 10-mm trocars. The technique consists of identifying the first jejunal loop, grasping it 20-30 cm away from the Treitz ligament with fenestrated atraumatic forceps, and exteriorizing it to the trocar orifice under visual guide. The jejunostomy was created outside the abdominal cavity during open surgery. At the end of the jejunostomy, the correct positions of the intestinal loop and feeding tube were evaluated via laparoscopy.

RESULTS

Surgery lasted 40 min on average, the laparoscopic portion only 5 min. There were no perioperative complications; hospital stay was 3 or 4 days for all patients. At the longest follow-up (18 months), all patients had experienced a significant weight gain, with a high level of parental satisfaction. One patient died 1 year after the procedure of unknown causes. All the others are well, without complications or problems, and their parents are extremely satisfied with the improved quality of life of their children.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic-assisted jejunostomy is a safe and effective procedure to adopt in neurologically impaired children with feeding problems and GER. This procedure solves these patients' feeding problems even if the reflux is not completely eliminated. We advocate the use of this procedure in neurologically impaired patients with feeding problems and reflux due to its overall practicability and because there is minimal surgical trauma. This technique is extremely safe because the surgeon is able to verify, at the end of procedure, the status of the jejunostomy from outside and inside the abdominal cavity. The improvement in the quality of life of these children after the jejunostomy seems to be the major advantage of this procedure.

Effectiveness of esophageal manometry in predicting the outcome of children with primary GER after floppy Nissen-Rossetti wrap

BACKGROUND

Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) can result in many postoperative problems because of an incorrect indication or an unsuitable fundoplication. Many preoperative tests have been suggested to perform a "tailored fundoplication," but there is no clear evidence as to which is the best. The aim of our study was to define the effectiveness of esophageal manometry in predicting the outcome of children who need fundoplication because of refractory primary gastroesophageal reflux.

METHODS

Thirty-two children were included in the study. Patients with gastroenterologic and respiratory symptoms numbered 10 (31%) and 22 (69%), respectively. The preoperative motility pattern was (1) inappropriate relaxations alone in nine patients (28%) and associated with esophageal body dysmotility in one patients (3%); (2) low-pressure lower esophageal sphincter (LES), alone in 13 patients (41%) and associated with body dysmotility in eight (25%). Motility pattern of the esophageal body was abnormal in nine children. Manometric anomalies were absent only in one case.

RESULTS

Low pressure of the LES associated with atypical esophageal motility disorders was significantly higher in the gastroenterological group and in the older patients. Low pressure of the LES associated with good esophageal activity was significantly higher in the respiratory group and in the patients younger than 24 months. There was no correlation between motility pattern and outcome, and no statistically significant differences were found between pressure values at the different levels and symptoms, outcome, and age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Esophageal manometry is not mandatory to predict the outcome of patients undergoing laparoscopic Nissen-Rossetti fundoplication for refractory primary GER treatment.

Effect of reflux and esophagitis on esophageal volume and acid clearance in piglets

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The study investigates esophageal motor function and esophageal clearance immediately after surgical induction of reflux in piglets and 8 weeks later after peptic esophagitis has developed.

METHODS

Twenty-four sedated, nonintubated piglets were divided into three groups: sham (laparotomy only), reflux (distal esophageal myotomy), and reflux + esophagitis (8 weeks after myotomy). All animals underwent stationary manometry of the esophagus with a four-lumen perfused assembly after injection of 1-, 2-, and 3-mL boluses of saline and acid into the proximal esophagus. Simultaneous pH monitoring allowed assessment of acid clearance. Wave features and clearance times after saline and acid were compared among groups.

RESULTS

There were minor changes in peristaltic activity of the esophagus after saline boluses in animals with reflux. Acid clearance time was prolonged, especially the time to re-establish resting esophageal pH, in animals with esophagitis. These changes, which were volume-dependent, were related to the loss of peristaltic organization of the esophageal waves. The esophageal wave frequency, amplitude, and duration were only slightly changed by the induction of reflux and by esophagitis.

CONCLUSIONS

The esophagus affected by acid reflux, with or without esophagitis, was capable of near-normal motor responses after boluses of saline. Reflux impaired the peristaltic response to acid, and the effect was more pronounced when reflux and esophagitis were both present. The acid clearance time was also strikingly prolonged in the presence of reflux and esophagitis. The results suggest that long episodes of reflux seen on pH tracings from individuals with esophagitis might be secondary both to acid-related motor dysfunction and large volumes of refluxate.