The question: If medications don't stop acid reflux, people sometimes turn to surgery to repair the opening that has allowed stomach contents to leak back into the esophagus. Does this have a lasting effect?

This study: analyzed data on 191 people who had laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery; 18 of them had an earlier procedure redone. Five years later, 71 percent of those who'd had the surgery for the first time said they were satisfied with the results, rating their symptoms at 6 on a standardized scale of 0 (no symptoms) to 45. About 43 percent of this group reported taking anti-reflux drugs at some point after surgery, and two required a repeat surgery. Of the 18 for whom this was their second surgery, 35 percent were satisfied with the results (their average score on the symptom scale was 14), 78 percent had taken medication again and about 17 percent needed another surgery.

Who may be affected? People with gastroesophageal reflux disease, whose most common symptom is heartburn.

Caveats: The study involved patients of one surgeon; surgeons with different expertise might produce different results.

Find this study: May issue of Archives of Surgery. Learn more at www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov and www.acg.gi.org/patients.