Short Esophagus in Type II-IV Hiatus Hernia

Background: The existence, diagnosis and treatment of short esophagus is one of the controversies of the past which has recently re-emerged. The missed diagnosis of short esophagus and the consequent inadequacy of treatment is one of the major causes of failure of antireflux surgery. The daily clinical practice of surgeons dedicated to therapy of esophageal diseases could take advantage of the definition of frequency, preoperative predictors, intraoperative management and post operative outcomes of cases of foreshortened esophagus, in order to offer the patient affected by GERD the elements necessary for a conscious choice of therapy and to plan the best performance of the surgical procedure. Aims of the Study To define the percentage of cases among the total of antireflux procedures performed for type II-IV hiatus hernia, in which, after standard isolation of the ge junction and dissection of the mediastinal esophagus at least two centimetres of esophagus can not be replaced without any applied tension below the apex of the diaphragmatic hiatus.