The Hill antireflux repair at 5 institutions over 25 years

BackgroundLong-term (> 5 years) studies of antireflux operations are needed. This study evaluates long-term results of the open Hill repair at multiple institutions.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of open Hill repairs from 1972 to 1997 at 5 North American medical centers with a mean follow-up of 10 years. Objective data and standardized clinical outcomes were collected at a central site. Subjective results, medication use, and satisfaction scales were obtained through scripted phone interview. Results between 2 Hill-trained centers and 3 independent centers were compared.ResultsOne thousand one hundred eighty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Symptomatic improvement was found in 97% and good to excellent results in 93%. Medication use was markedly reduced. Hiatal hernia recurrence was found in 77 (6.9%); the reoperation rate was 1.9%. Differences in outcomes between Hill centers and independent centers were minor.ConclusionsExcellent results with the open Hill repair are durable beyond 10 years and are reproducible. Anatomic recurrence and reoperative rates are low.