Surgeons at the Ohio State University Medical Center have performed the first incisionless operations in the United States using a device recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to stop gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Ohio State's Medical Center is one of the nation's leaders in incisionless surgery, a new procedure that leaves no outside scarring; results in minimal, if any, post-operative pain; reduces patients' recovery time significantly; and is expected to be one of the next major medical advancements.
Surgeons at Ohio State have treated the first two patients, using the device known as EsophyX. The mechanism, new in the United States, has been proven safe and effective in patients treated throughout Europe for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as heartburn.
“The medical device offers a treatment for patients who suffer from an advanced degree of GERD and, until now, would have been candidates for surgery,” said Dr. Scott Melvin, division director, general and gastrointestinal surgery, and director, Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at the OSU Medical Center.
Heartburn is a condition in which acid refluxes from the stomach into the esophagus. The burning sensation felt in the chest can last for countless hours, resulting from inflammation, bleeding or ulcers in the esophagus. GERD is known to be associated with an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus.
Almost 30 million Americans are diagnosed with chronic reflux disease that requires medication for relief of symptoms. It is estimated that millions of dollars are spent on over-the-counter and prescription medications for treatment of the condition.