Randomised trials of surgical and non-surgical treatment: a role model for the future

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Abstract

Symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn are increasingly common, and doctors need to understand the benefits and risks of surgical and medical treatment from the patients’ perspective when offering treatment. Obtaining reliable information from randomised controlled trials to fully inform patients is difficult, however, because of the many recognised obstacles to undertaking such trials of diverse treatments, including difficulties with recruitment and standardising treatments and the inability to provide blinding. In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.a2664), Grant et al carried out a multicentre pragmatic randomised trial of minimal access surgery (laparoscopic fundoplication) compared with optimised medical management (standard proton pump inhibition) for chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).1 The results were clear: up to 12 months after starting treatment, surgery was more effective than medical treatment at relieving symptoms related to reflux and improving general health.
Translated title of the contributionRandomised trials of surgical and non-surgical treatment: a role model for the future
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1 - 1
Number of pages1
JournalBMJ
Volume337(a2747)
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2008

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