Review for 10.1186/s12876-019-1027-8 (2019)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Typical symptoms and not positive reflux -cough correlation predict cure of 
gastroesophageal  reflux disease related chronic cough after laparoscopic fundoplication: a 
retrospective  study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 30 Nov 2018  
 
Reviewer: Michael F. Vaezi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The manuscript is a very interesting study of patients with chronic cough post fundoplication and 
reports that those with abnormal reflux by impedance ph monitoring and typical reflux 
symptoms are more likely to respond to surgical fundoplication.  I congr atulate the authors for 
their study.  I have a few comments and hope they can respond:  
 
1. Were tests done off or on PPI therapy?  
 
2. What was the response of patients with cough to PPI therapy before the surgery?  
 
3. did degree of reflux as reported by Franc is et al (>12%) off therapy play a role?  
 
4. can the authors provide data regarding endoscopic findings such as hiatal hernia and 
esophagitis in the group that responded and did these play a predictive role?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
none  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors ' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal