PhD Conferral Mr. Petrus S.S. Castelijns, MSc.

Keywords: heartburn, antireflux surgery, quality of life, hiatal hernia, Nissen (the surgical procedure)

“Outcome after laparoscopic antireflux surgery and hiatal hernia repair”

Heartburn is a very common condition. When medication fails to relieve symptoms, surgery may be considered as a treatment option. The studies in this dissertation describe the quality of life following surgery, which appears to be good in both the short term and the long term. A literature study describes the optimal surgical treatment. As the surgical techniques to treat heartburn are difficult to master, we designed a new technique that leads to more reproducible results and that is easier for novice surgeons to perform. The clinical benefits of this technique must be examined further.