PhD conferral Mr drs. Selwyn van Rijn

“Implications of surgical and endoscopic interventions in the upper GI tract (with focus on management of GERD and Weight Control)”

Keywords: obesity, overweight, bariatric surgery, gastro-oesophageal reflux, vagus damage, anti-reflux surgery

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part examines the short-term and long-term effects of vagus nerve damage (tenth cranial nerve) following anti-reflux surgery. Vagus damage is much more common than previously thought and is associated with poorer long-term outcomes following anti-reflux surgery. The second part of this dissertation focuses on new techniques to treat obesity. Innovative techniques are generating promising results in the short term, particularly those that trigger structural changes in the digestive tract.