Utilisation of surgical fundoplication for patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in the USA has declined rapidly between 2009 and 2013

Background Surgical fundoplication has been considered to be one of the leading therapeutic modalities for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during the last several decades. Aim To determine the trend of surgical fundoplication utilisation in GERD patients during the last decade in the United States. Methods Population-based study using a large nationwide database, the Explorys database system, to identify patients diagnosed with GERD and those who underwent surgical fundoplication. Using a quadratic regression model, we determined and compared the trends of surgical fundoplication utilisation annually from 2004 to 2013. Results We identified 4 059 060 patients with the diagnosis of GERD, of whom 2343 (0.05%) underwent surgical fundoplication between 2004 and 2013. There was a significant decline in the number of surgical fundoplications performed over the last 5 years from 0.062% in 2009 to 0.047% in 2013 (P < 0.05). Female patients accounted for the majority of those who underwent fundoplication (62.52%). Caucasian patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years were the most likely group to undergo surgical fundoplication (66.28%). The number of overweight patients undergoing surgical fundoplication has been significantly increasing over the last decade (P < 0.05). Importantly, 80% of surgical patients were treated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) post surgical fundoplication by 2013 (P < 0.001). Conclusions Utilisation of surgical fundoplication in GERD patients has been steadily declining over the past 5 years. The vast majority of patients will resume PPI treatment after surgical fundoplication.