Medical treatment versus surgery for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease has significant and profound effect on the population at large. This increasingly prevalent disease has been shown to have adverse effect on quality of life and work productivity, interference with daily living, and much less the direct and indirect diagnostic and therapeutic costs. Effective medical and surgical therapies are available. This discussion focuses on evidence for justifying therapy—with both a risk and reward assessment of outcomes. Best practice recommendations and caveats for each pathway of therapy are discussed.