Nonsurgical Procedure Is Better Than Drug Therapy for Controlling Symptoms of GERD, Report Researchers in `Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques'.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

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LARCHMONT, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2003

The Stretta procedure, a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure performed under conscious sedation provides significantly greater symptom control of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) than standard drug therapy, according to a recent study published in the December 2002 (Volume 12, Number 6) issue of Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The paper, entitled "The Stretta Procedure for the Treatment of GERD: A Registry of 558 Patients," may be viewed free online at www.liebertpub.com/lap.

Patients with GERD are typically treated with antisecretory drugs, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which often must be taken for the rest of a patient's life to control symptoms. Study authors Herbert C. Wolfsen, M.D., of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, and William O. Richards, M.D., of the Department of Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, reported that 76% of patients in the study were unhappy with GERD drug therapy. Within six months of having the Stretta procedure, 83.3% of patients began reporting relief of GERD symptoms. Following the procedure, PPI use decreased or was no longer needed, the percentage of patients with satisfactory GERD control improved from 26.3% to 77%, and these effects were sustained for longer than 1 year of follow-up.

"The development of a laparoscopic operation for reflux disease (Nissen Fundoplication) has initiated the pursuit of even less invasive means to treat reflux. The Stretta procedure appears to be one such approach that shows great promise in early studies, such as this report," says Mark A. Talamini, M.D.,journal Editor-in-Chief and Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

The Stretta procedure involves inserting a catheter down a patient's throat to the junction of the esophagus and the stomach. The catheter contains a balloon and needle electrodes. The balloon is inflated, and the needle electrodes are introduced into the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter. The physician delivers radiofrequency energy through the electrodes, creating thermal lesions in the muscle. When those lesions heal, the lower esophageal sphincter is better able to function as a barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, preventing acid reflux and diminishing GERD symptoms.

Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online. It is dedicated to practicing surgeons and provides reviews and papers on the surgical techniques that encompass laparoscopy, endoscopy, and advanced surgical technology in all surgical disciplines. It is the first journal to focus on these techniques both in general surgery and in areas of specialization, which include gastroenterology, gynecology, ENT, and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. A complete table of contents and free sample issue may be viewed online at www.liebertpub.com/LAP.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Pediatric Endosurgery & Innovative Techniques, Journal of Endourology, and Surgical Infections. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 60 journals, books, and newsletters is available at www.liebertpub.com.