NEW Minimally Invasive Surgery to Treat GERD

My friend Joanne found this new procedure for treating heartburn (GERD), something it seems all ILD patients have to address. I had the Nissen Fundoplication surgery, which required a full month recovery and a stay in ICU. Not a lot of fun but it took care of the problem for me. I am grateful I had the procedure but this appears to be so less invasive.

Pass this along to your doctor if you need to consider intervention because of GERD or microaspirations:

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Technology at BMC

Incisionless Surgery to Treat Heartburn at BMC performed by Dr. Hiran Fernando

Surgery without an incision is now a possibility. The new Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication procedure or TIF® using the innovative EsophyX® device for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is now available from Dr. Hiran Fernando thoracic surgeon and director of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery for the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Dr. Michael Ebright Co-Director, Lung Cancer CyberKnife Program at BMC.

Dr. Fernando and Dr. Ebright are the first specialists in Boston to be trained on the TIF procedure. "The TIF procedure with the EsophyX device can significantly improve quality of life for our patients." said Dr. Fernando. "GERD is an anatomical problem which needs an anatomical solution. Reflux medication like PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) can help relieve patients' heartburn symptoms, by decreasing acid production from the stomach, but don't solve the underlying anatomical problems so that reflux symptoms can persist. Even on PPIs many patients are still unable to eat the foods they want or have to sleep sitting up to reduce nighttime reflux. After the EsophyX TIF procedure, clinical trials show that most patients can eat and drink foods they have avoided for many years. Reflux no longer impacts their life like it previously did."

EsophyX is based on established principles of surgical repair of the antireflux barrier, except that it is "surgery from within" performed transorally (through the mouth). The EsophyX TIF procedure can reduce a small hiatal hernia and creates a valve between the stomach and esophagus restoring the natural, physiological anatomy to prevent gastroesophageal reflux. Because the procedure is incisionless, there is reduced pain, reduced recovery and no visible scar.

The EsophyX TIF procedure represents the next step in the evolution of surgery. Laparoscopy reduced the skin incisions typical of open surgery to a minimally invasive three-to-five port holes. However, laparoscopy still involves the same internal incisions and organ dissection as open surgery. EsophyX TIF requires neither internal incisions nor dissection. EsophyX lowers the hurdle for receiving an anatomical restoration of the antireflux barrier and allows earlier intervention.
With millions of Americans diagnosed with GERD and not fully satisfied with their treatment options, EsophyX offers an excellent alternative.
"Recent studies of EsophyX have shown that the procedure can reduce patients' dependency on medications with 70% of patients remaining symptom free after two years and experiencing a dramatic improvement in their quality of life," said Dr. Hiran Fernando. "We are very excited to be able to offer our patients the same incredible benefits as more invasive procedures without incisions."