Future directions of therapy for GERD

This book has been devoted to a critical appraisal of treatment options for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and failed anti-reflux therapy and has provided a physiologic basis for managing the postoperative syndromes associated with surgical anti-reflux therapy. In this final chapter, we would like to explore what we feel are future prospects for the various management options for patients with newly diagnosed, persistent, or recurrent GERD. Much of what we hypothesize is speculative but these thoughts are meant to encourage the reader to consider what we may be able to offer and how we might approach these patients in the near future.