GERD Treatment

People who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have several options for treatment. The most common are dietary and lifestyle changes, and medication. However, if symptoms persist, surgery or endoscopy treatments are other options.

Several medications used to treat GERD include over-the-counter ‘acid buffers’ and prescription ‘Proton pump inhibitors’.

People with severe, difficult-to-control GERD symptoms often seek surgery as an option. Surgery is also a good option for people with GERDs who have complications such as asthma or pneumonia, who have scar tissue blocking the esophagus, or who do not want to take medications for extended periods of time.

Three new surgical treatments tighten the lower esophageal sphincter using an endoscope. An endocope is a flexible tube that is inserted through the mouth into the throat to examine the interior of the esophagus. The treatments involve stitching (”plication”), heating (”Stretta” procedure), or injecting the sphincter with a bulking material (”Enteryx” procedure).

These treatments were only recently developed, so their long-term success rates and potential complications are unknown. While not yet widely available, they are being offered at an increasing number of medical centers.