Endoscopic Therapies for GERD
Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication
Reflux disease, or GERD, is on the rise nationwide. In the past, treatment for reflux consisted of medical therapy with acid-reducing drugs or surgery. The most common medications, PPIs, offer safe and effective short- term relief for heartburn symptoms. Unfortunately, even while on medications for years, many patients are still unable to eat the foods they want and/or must sleep sitting up to reduce nighttime reflux. Additionally, patients frequently become dissatisfied with GERD-related lifestyle adjustments, and the media has regularly reported on studies associating complications with long-term use of PPIs—including chronic kidney disease, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, interference with Plavix®, intestinal infections, and dementia.
We are pleased to offer a new, exciting treatment option: transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF). This is a procedure done entirely through the mouth, with no need for incisions. The TIF procedure reconstructs an antireflux valve at the gastroesophageal junction and reduces hiatal hernia, restoring natural anatomical geometry. The procedure generally takes less than one hour; most patients can go home the next day and return to work and most normal activities within a few days.
In a recent study of patients who received the TIF procedure:
- 90% experienced a reduction of troublesome regurgitation
- 88% experienced elimination of all daily atypical symptoms
- And 71% completely stopped taking their PPIs
Most importantly, these positive outcomes remained stable during the five-year follow-up period. Additionally, the TIF procedure has an excellent safety profile. It has been performed on more than 20,000 patients worldwide with a low complication rate of under one half of one percent (0.5%).
