GERD Treatment at EMH

Finally, an effective solution for chronic acid reflux! If you have heartburn twice a week or more, you may have acid reflux disease, also known as Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Heartburn is the most common symptom, but you may also experience:

Regurgitation
Hoarseness or sore throat
Frequent swallowing
Asthma or asthma-like symptoms
Pain or discomfort in the chest
Refl ux-related sleep disorders
Yellow fluid or stains on pillow after sleep
Excessive clearing of the throat
Persistent cough
Burning in the mouth or throat
Intolerance of certain foods
Bloating
Dental erosions or therapy-resistant gum disease or inflammation

What is GERD?

Normally, after swallowing, a valve between the esophagus and stomach opens to allow food to pass, then it closes to prevent stomach contents from refluxing into the esophagus. In GERD, this valve is weakened or absent, allowing the acidic digestive juices from the stomach to flow back (or reflux) into the esophagus.

The reflux of these fluids is not only painful and uncomfortable, but can burn the esophagus, cause chronic inflammation, and lead to major damage and potentially cancer of the esophagus. GERD is one of the most common diseases, with over 60 million Americans experiencing symptoms at least once a month.

Over 60% of the elderly have frequent GERD, and over 14 million Americans have GERD so frequently and severely that they experience symptoms every single day.

What are Treatment Options for GERD?

Pharmaceuticals:
While pharmaceuticals alleviate the symptoms, they don't solve the underlying anatomical problem and generally don't stop disease progression. Over time you may need to increase your dosage and, like many GERD sufferers, it may mean taking medication for the rest of your life. What's more, recent major studies on the adverse effects of long-term use of PPIs show increased risk of bone fractures.

Conventional surgical options:
Invasive surgical procedures have long been known to be an effective long-term solution to treating GERD. During the surgery, the valve is reconstructed by wrapping the upper portion of the stomach around the esophagus.

Incisionless TIF procedure (with the EsophyX device):
Based on may years of proven surgical concepts and techniques, TIF is the first incisionless NOS (Natural Orifice Surgery) procedure to emulate gold-standard conventional surgery procedures.

TIF is appropriate for GERD sufferers:

Dissatisfied with pharmaceutical therapies
Experiencing heartburn or non-heartburn symptoms of GERD
Concerned about long-term effects of a lifetime of taking pills

Has my surgeon been specially trained?

Every TIF surgeon receives specialized training including lectures and hands-on training with a certified EsophyX TIF trainer. EMH Surgeon, Dr. George Pfaltzgraff, is the first surgeon in the State of Iowa to have performed the TIF procedure and has been recognized as one of the top 12 surgeons in the nation, by EsophyX, for the number of procedures he completed in December 2009. He is fast becoming a leader in incisionless treatment of GERD.

Learn more about TIF