Endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease. 2005

H Louis, and J Devière
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatopancreatology, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. hlouis@ulb.ac.be

Endoscopic therapies aimed to reduce gastroesophageal reflux have gained an enormous enthusiasm during the last 5 years when several of them were approved by the regulatory agencies and released on the market. These novel therapies comprise 3 types of techniques: injection/bulking, plicating/suturing and radiofrequency thermal injury. Open-labelled trials performed on proton pump inhibitors-responding patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms have shown an improvement in reflux symptoms during short term follow-up. Longer-term data are now available and show disappointing results with partial-thickness plications of the cardia. Randomized sham-controlled trials, which are essential to proof the efficacy of GERD endotherapy because of a known high placebo effect in the management of GERD patients, have been conducted, one with radiofrequency and one with polymer injection, and have confirmed the clinical efficacy of both techniques, although the clinical benefit was less impressive than suggested in open-labelled trials. While mechanistic studies have suggested that the compliance of the gastroesophageal junction might be altered by GERD endotherapy, objective assessment of acid reflux with ambulatory pH-metry has shown, however, minimal or no modification by the treatment. Concerns about the safety of these new techniques have raised when complications were reported as the number of treated cases increased. Currently, no definite indication is established for each technique, but numerous potential indications exist and should be addressed in the setting of carefully designed clinical trials. Physicians should be patient and wait for proof of efficacy and safety of these techniques before using them in their clinical practice. Specific and extensive warning should be obtained before starting clinical application. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical view of endoscopic therapy in GERD management.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D004945 Esophagoscopy Endoscopic examination, therapy or surgery of the esophagus. Esophagoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Esophagoscopic,Esophagoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Esophagoscopic,Esophagoscopic Surgeries,Esophagoscopic Surgical Procedure,Esophagoscopies,Procedure, Esophagoscopic Surgical,Procedures, Esophagoscopic Surgical,Surgeries, Esophagoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Esophagoscopic
D005764 Gastroesophageal Reflux Retrograde flow of gastric juice (GASTRIC ACID) and/or duodenal contents (BILE ACIDS; PANCREATIC JUICE) into the distal ESOPHAGUS, commonly due to incompetence of the LOWER ESOPHAGEAL SPHINCTER. Esophageal Reflux,Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease,GERD,Gastric Acid Reflux,Gastric Acid Reflux Disease,Gastro-Esophageal Reflux,Gastro-oesophageal Reflux,Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease,Reflux, Gastroesophageal,Acid Reflux, Gastric,Gastro Esophageal Reflux,Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease,Gastro oesophageal Reflux,Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Diseases,Reflux Disease, Gastro-Esophageal,Reflux, Gastric Acid,Reflux, Gastro-Esophageal,Reflux, Gastro-oesophageal
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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