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What
is Videoscopic Surgery for GERD?
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Normal
Esophageal Valve
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Weakened
Esophageal Valve
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Before
Treatment
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After
Treatment
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Chronic heartburn or GERD is usually caused by the weakening
of a valve above the stomach allowing acids to reflux up into
the esophagus. Videoscopic surgery actually addresses the
malfunctioning valve, "fixing" chronic heartburn in most cases.
In this procedure, a surgeon wraps part of the stomach around
the lower esophageal sphincter, which improves the performance
of the sphincter preventing the reflux of acids from the stomach
into the esophagus and eliminating heartburn.
Here's
a look at the benefits of this alternative:
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Open
Surgery
-
1-7" Incision
- Hospital
stay of 7 days
- Recovery
period of 4 - 6 weeks, activity restriction
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Videoscopic
Surgery
- 4-6
dime-sized incisions
-
Hospital stay of 1-3 days (typical stay 2-3 days)
- Recovery
period of 2 - 3 weeks, no activity restriction
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How
successful is the surgery?
Studies
show that over 90% of patients are symptom-free after a videoscopic
surgical procedure to correct gastroesophageal reflux disease.
"The-quality-of-life assessment has been the most dramatically
improved outcome variable…" in patients studied.*
* Hunter
JG, Trus TL, Branum GD, Waring JP, Wood WC. A physiologic
approach to laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal
reflux disease. Ann Surg. 1996;223:673-687.
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