LARS Surgery May Not Be Successful in Treating GERD in Older Adults

Surgical Outcomes

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, is a leading cause of health concern for many adults in the United States. In fact, the complications of GERD are so prevalent that it is expected that nearly 10 percent of all adults will experience a complication involving GERD at some point in their lifetime.

If you've been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, your physician may recommend a variety of treatment options ranging from changes to diet to those including surgical intervention. In most cases, the complications of GERD can be well managed with some dietary restrictions but, for some GERD sufferers, the need for laparoscopic antireflux surgery, LARS, is necessary.

While LARS is effective at managing the complications of GERD, it is not fully known what long term outcomes you can expect. It is important, therefore, that you discuss both the short term as well as the long term outcomes with your physician as it may be the long term outcomes that will determine whether the LARS is truly and effective surgical option for treatment gastroesophageal reflux disease.

To be truly successful, the long term outcomes should support the resolution of heartburn, regurgitation, and dysphagia well beyond that of the initial days, weeks and months after surgery. In terms of long-term success, your doctor should determine if the LARS can alleviate these symptoms for as long as five to six years as most patients, when the right candidate for surgery, realize these benefits.

So, who benefits most from LARS in the treatment of GERD? If you are a man, relatively young in age, without complications associated with dysphagia, then you are the ideal candidate for the successful long-term outcome of the LARS procedure. Because side effects are also a concern, these should also be addressed with your physician prior to agreeing to undergo the LARS procedure. For most older adults, especially those who are experiencing significant complications with dysphagia, the use of laparoscopic antireflux surgery, LARS, will not provide the long term successful outcome you may be seeking.