“…The starter within this issue comes from Cedric Bremner from South Africa [1], who for many decades worked in the USA (recently Los Angeles) and dedicated his life to the surgical management of esophageal disorders. In addition, he profoundly contributed to the development of surgical function tests (manometry, pH monitoring of the esophagus) and our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying disorders such as GERD, achalasia, intrabolus pressure and distal esophageal spasm.…”