André Toupet: Surgeon Technician Par Excellence

Abstract

André Toupet is best known for the posterior fundoplication that bears his name, currently used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or completing Heller's myotomy and subject today to intense discussions. This was not different in 1963, when Toupet proposed his technique at a time when the Nissen fundoplication was emerging as the treatment of choice for GERD. Behind the procedure, we discover a man with great surgical talent and meticulous attention to technical details who opposed criticism with hard work and strong family values.

Preoperative education for lumbar radiculopathy: A survey of US spine surgeons

“…Discussion of the surgical procedure is expected, because surgeons are often viewed as expert technicians and thus view spinal disorders from a technical point of view. 55 – 59 It is important to note that in a recent study that surveyed patients having undergone lumbar surgery for radiculopathy, 11 patients were asked to rate the importance of various topics covered during preoperative education and “surgical procedure” was only ranked No. 9.…”

Results of laparoscopic Heller-Toupet operation for achalasia

“…Although excellent results have been reported following meticulously performed myotomy without an antireflux component [21], most published series support the need for antireflux protection, particularly if extensive dissection of the hiatus is performed. There have been no published reports of randomized controlled trials comparing the outcome of laparoscopic Heller myotomy with and without an antireflux procedure, and a metaanalysis failed to demonstrate a significant difference between wrapped and nonwrapped patients [12]. However, the Vanderbilt group has recently reported markedly higher rates of postoperative reflux following myotomy without fundoplication compared to myotomy with partial fundoplication in a prospective randomized trial (unpublished results).…”

Eponyms in esophageal surgery

“…Apart from the development of a new method of fundoplication, he contributed to several topics in the field of the coloproctology, and developed 20 new instruments and 40 procedures 9 …”

“…2) consisted of hiatus posterior closure, short gastric vessels division, 11 non‐attachment of the fundoplication to the hiatus, 12 and an increase in the fundoplication to 270° 12 . The only modification by the author was the division of the left gastric artery to allow better mobilization of the fundus and the addition of a pyloroplasty 9 …”

“…12 The only modification by the author was the division of the left gastric artery to allow better mobilization of the fundus and the addition of a pyloroplasty. 9 A variant of the procedure was later developed by Lind a name also immortalized as an eponym. 6,13…”