Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) – To Tube or Not?

Abstract

Gastro-oesophageal relux disease (GORD) is the most common gastrointestinal diagnosis recorded during visits to outpatient clinics. In the United States, it is estimated that 14 to 20% of adults are affected. This figure may, however, correlate to an overestimation of the disease prevalence. The disease having a nebulous definition, is based on self-reported chronic heartburn and it has been shown that only symptoms of moderate intensity occurring at least once a week have a significant impact on quality of life. A current definition of the disorder is a “condition which develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms (i.e. at least two heartburn episodes per week) and/or complications.” It is caused by the retrograde passage of gastric (or gastroduodenal) contents through the cardia into the oesophagus. From a clinical standpoint, the term ‘GORD’ encompasses all individuals who are at risk of physical complications as a result of exposure to gastro-oesophageal reflux or who experience a clinically significant impairment of health-related wellbeing due to reflux-related symptoms (following adequate reassurance of their benign nature).