Acid exposure time better predicts outcomes following anti-reflux surgery than DeMeester score

Background Criteria to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) vary. The American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) 2022 Expert Review on GERD focuses on acid exposure time (AET) rather than DeMeester score from ambulatory pH testing (BRAVO). We aim to review outcomes following anti-reflux surgery (ARS) at our institution, grouped by differing criteria for the diagnosis of GERD. Methods A retrospective review of a prospective gastroesophageal quality database was performed for all patients undergoing evaluation for ARS with preoperative BRAVO ≥ 48 h. Group comparisons were made using two-tailed Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher’s exact tests and two-tailed statistical significance of p