Although GERD was initially described in the early 19 century, it is essentially a c-sequence of our modern day largesse. Dietary factors and associated obesity have combined with as yet other unknown factors (e.g. a decrease in the prevalence of H. pylori?) to make GERD one of the most common diseases affecting western society. It is estimated that up to 20 million adults in the United States suffer from GERD, and treatment of these individuals consumes approximately $10 billion annually, the majority of it for prescription drugs used to manage the disease and its symptoms. Fortunately, despite challenges presented by co-factors resulting in GERD (diet, obesity, etc.), therapy of GERD is largely successful. However, even a low failure rate for a therapy used in the management of GERD still results in large numbers of affected patients because of the high prevalence of this disease. Use of a conservative estimate of a failure rate of 5% translates to 1 million ineffectively treated and unhappy patients. How to manage these patients is the subject of this book. Why is publication of this book important now? Several factors prompted us to work on this project. Mature results for proton pump inhibitor use are available,making this an appropriate time to review outcomes of PPI therapy of GERD. Similarly, mature results are now available for minimally invasive surgical therapy for GERD.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
From the reviews of the first edition:
"An outstanding review of an increasingly common clinical problem, namely, the management of field antireflux therapy. The selection of chapter authors is outstanding, the combinations of topics presented are well thought out and the layout and presentation are excellent. Clinicians who see patients on any form of GERD therapy will find the book insightful, scholarly and useful."
J.H. Peters, MD, FACS, Diseases of the Esophagus
"This is a multi-authored textbook edited by a surgeon and a gastroenterologist. . The content and references are up-to-date. The quality of the drawings, black and white and colour illustrations is generally excellent throughout the book. . This is a useful and comprehensive textbook for surgeons who want to manage such complex patients and understand the importance of a truly multidisciplinary approach." (L. Bonavina, Digestive and Liver Disease, Issue 38, 2006)
