Balloon up or balloon away? Examining the management of postoperative dysphagia following fundoplication

Dysphagia following laparoscopic fundoplication for medically refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common. In patients without an anatomic defect, it has been hypothesized that the ant wrap may be too tight. Therefore, pneumatic dilation help relieve obstruction. While retrospective data support this hypothesis, prospective are lacking. We summarize @GIJournal discussion held on February 17, 2021, during which article by Schuitenmaker et al. “Pneumatic persistent dysphagia after surgery, a multicentre single-blind randomized sham-controlled clinical trial” was critically reviewed our expert Dr. John Pandolfino (JP), and moderated Marianna Papademetriou (MP).