Ask The Doctor: GERD Is a Common Reflux Disorder, But Relief Is Available
Dr. Samuel Yelverton, board-certified general surgeon explains GERD, its symptoms and treatments.
Q: What is GERD?
A: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a digestive disorder, caused by either a hiatal hernia or by a faulty valve, known as the lower esophageal sphincter located between the esophagus and stomach. When the sphincter is too relaxed, stomach acid flows backward causing reflux. When this occurs, the esophagus becomes irritated, and it can result in a painful burning sensation in the throat and chest.
Q: What is a hiatal hernia and how is it related to reflux?
A: A hiatal hernia is a defect in the diaphragm muscle in which the stomach bulges through into the chest. Any size hiatal hernia can allow food and acid to back up causing reflux.
Q: What are common symptoms of GERD?
A: The most common symptoms are heartburn, chest pain, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, coughing, sore throat, weight loss and difficulty swallowing.
Q: How is GERD diagnosed?
A: Your physician can make a diagnosis based on your symptoms and may prescribe medications. However, if symptoms do not improve or you wish to stop taking your medications, your doctor might order diagnostic tests.
Q: What are the treatment options?
A: Transoral incisionless fundoplication or TIF is an endoscopic procedure performed by a gastroenterologist or general surgeon to treat chronic acid reflux. Doctors use the TIF device along with an endoscope (a flexible tube-like instrument inserted into the mouth to help see inside the body.) The purpose of the surgery is to reconstruct the faulty valve between the stomach and esophagus.
Because many people with GERD also have a hiatal hernia, a relatively new approach for the treatment of both conditions is to combine a minimally invasive robotic** hiatal hernia repair surgery with a TIF procedure to treat GERD. The two-part procedure includes a concomitant transoral incisionless fundoplication (cTIF) to repair the hernia followed by the TIF procedure.
Q: How safe and effective are these treatments?
A: The procedure has fewer complications than the traditional hiatal hernia repair and Nissen fundoplication (the old anti-reflux surgery). It also has the same short-term and long-term results as the traditional anti-reflux surgery without many of the smaller side effects. ***
About Samuel R. Yelverton, MD
Dr. Yelverton is board certified in general surgery and performs the TIF and cTIF procedures at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. He sees both elective and acute care general surgery patients at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. He performs all aspects of general surgery, including minimally invasive and daVinci® robotic surgery. He earned his medical degree at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. He completed his general surgery residency at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About Ronald Andari, MD
Dr. Andari is a board-certified gastroenterologist with specialized training in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. He performs the TIF and cTIF procedures at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. His clinical interests include chronic abdominal pain, hepatobiliary and pancreatic pathology, endoscopic ultrasound, endoscopic mucosal resection and cancer prevention. He completed both an advanced endoscopy fellowship and gastroenterology fellowship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa. He also completed an internal medicine residency at Temple University Hospital. He earned his medical degree at the University of Venezuela Medical School. He sees patients at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
**Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if robotic surgery is right for you.
Sources:
*https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/gastroesophageal-reflux-dise...