Barrett esophagus is a change in the normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus to specialized columnar-lined epithelium. Barrett esophagus is of interest to surgeons in that it is associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Beyond that, nearly every other aspect of Barrett esophagus has been an area of controversy among surgeons, gastroenterologists, pathologists, and epidemiologists. The purpose of this article is to review the disease Barrett esophagus with emphasis on current clinical management.