Abstract
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common diagnosis of the esophagus and stomach. Approximately 30% of patients fail to respond to medical therapy and are considered candidates for anti-reflux surgery. Very few of these patients actually go on to undergo anti-reflux surgery, leading to a “treatment gap” for millions of people with inadequate control of reflux symptoms. Radiofrequency (RF) therapy has been proposed as an alternative treatment for GERD. A transoral catheter system delivers RF energy around the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is theorized to lead to remodeling of the musculature of the LES. In the short-term and long-term studies, it has shown to improve quality of life scores, reduce PPI use, and decrease incidence of esophageal acid exposure in patients with GERD. It also has been evaluated in patients with previous anti-reflux surgery or bariatric surgery. RF therapy may be beneficial in patients with medically refractory GERD who desire non-surgical approach or in patients with GERD following previous anti-reflux or bariatric surgery.
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© 2020 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)
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Oh, J.S., Wright, A.S. (2020). Evaluation and Management of Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA). In: Nau, P., Pauli, E., Sandler, B., Trus, T. (eds) The SAGES Manual of Flexible Endoscopy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23590-1_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23590-1_24
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