Digestive diseases
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Review Historical Article
Minimally invasive surgical techniques for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Open antireflux surgery produces good long-term control of disease, but new interest in the surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux disease has been stimulated by the introduction of minimally invasive techniques to perform standard antireflux procedures. In the past some scepticism existed among gastroenterologists who quoted the poor surgical results they had seen. ⋯ Since the introduction of minimally invasive surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease, excellent results have been reported with over 5 years of follow-up. The most common and successfully used laparoscopically antireflux procedures are reviewed and results analyzed.
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Mastocytosis is a disease characterized by an abnormal increase in mast cells. Rare in occurrence, protean in its manifestations, it is a disease which is very seldom thought of and hence, possibly even overlooked. The last few decades have witnessed an upsurge in the understanding of the physiology and pathobiology of mast cells. ⋯ Once a diagnosis is established histamine antagonists remain the mainstay of treatment. Most patients live and die with the disease rather than of it. The objective of this review is to discuss this entity with a special focus on diagnosis and treatment.