[Antireflux surgery more cost-effective than medication after all?].

Although fundoplication has been found effective in the treatment of reflux disease, its long-term results have raised doubts due to the large number of patients taking acid blocker medication after the operation. Based on the five-year follow-up of the REFLUX study, reflux symptoms and quality of life associated with reflux were improved after the operation. Laparoscopic fundoplication was found to be a cost-effective form of treatment among those having a chronic reflux disease. The operation can be recommended for treating reflux disease in patients exhibiting a non-optimal PPI drug response.