Center for Minimally Invasive Esophageal Therapies

Diseases & Conditions

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) – Treatments

How is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Treated?

The goal of GERD treatment is to reduce reflux, relieve symptoms and prevent damage to your esophagus. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may first recommend changing your lifestyle, such as not eating within three hours of bedtime, avoiding fatty or fried foods, quitting smoking and/or losing weight. Your doctor may also recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications to control acid production. If non-surgical methods do not take care of your GERD, your doctor may recommend surgery and minimally invasive procedures

Treatments for GERD include:

Fundoplication
In fundoplication, the surgeon wraps part of your stomach around the esophageal sphincter and attaches it to the esophagus and esophageal sphincter. This narrows the esophagus and increases the amount of pressure on the lower esophagus, which helps to keep acid from escaping from the stomach.

The procedure can be performed in several ways, including transthoracic and transabdominal fundoplication, both of which are open surgical procedures.

In addition, minimally invasive techniques have been developed. In laparoscopic fundoplication, the surgeon makes four or five tiny incisions in your abdomen and inserts small surgical instruments. In endoscopic fundoplication, the surgeon performs the procedure using thin, flexible surgical tools that are guided down your esophagus.

Collis Gastroplasty
Collis gastroplasty is a technique for lengthening a "short" esophagus. It can be used in conjunction with fundoplication.

What is gastroesophageal reflux, its symptoms and causes?
How is gastroesophageal reflux diagnosed?

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