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Heartburn surgery
A no-incision
solution
What may have
seemed like science fiction, surgery without an incision, is
now a reality that is giving back patients with chronic acid reflux or gastro-
esophageal reflux disease (GERD) a normal life. Yoo Taik Suh, MD, at
T.J. Samson Community Hospital, is now offering the TIF procedure for the
treatment of GERD.
In a healthy patient, there is a natural valve between the esophagus and
the stomach that forms a physical barrier preventing stomach fluids from
backwashing, or “refluxing,” up into the esophagus. In a patient with chronic
GERD, this valve has become dysfunctional. Many patients take reflux
medications such as PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), which suppress acid pro-
duction, to help relieve their heartburn symptoms. Even with PPIs, they are
still unable to eat the foods they want or need to sleep sitting up to reduce
nighttime reflux. In addition, recent studies have shown that long-term use
of PPIs is linked to inadequate absorption of minerals, chronic kidney disease
and dementia. People with GERD just want to get back to living normal
lives.
TIF is an acronym for
transoral incisionless fundoplication
, and the advan-
tage is that it is surgery from within, performed through the mouth. Based on
the same well-proven principles of conventional, more invasive laparoscopic
GERD surgery, the TIF procedure reconstructs the valve between the esopha-
gus and the stomach to prevent reflux. Because the procedure is incisionless,
there is reduced pain and no visible scar and most patients can get back to
their normal activities within a few days.
“The TIF procedure can significantly improve quality of life for our pa-
tients,” Dr. Suh says. “Clinical studies show that at three years after the TIF
procedure, 70 percent were able to completely stop PPI therapy, reflux esopha-
gitis healed in 87 percent of patients and 91 percent of patients reported elimi-
nation of troublesome regurgitation. Reflux no longer impacts their life like it
previously did.”
Please call Dr. Suh’s office at
270-651-4829
if you or someone you know has
chronic GERD and would like to learn more about how the TIF procedure
can get you back to living without the pills and without heartburn.
Should you be pro probiotics?
You've probably heard
of pro-
biotics, especially if you spend any
time in the yogurt aisles of super-
markets. But what are they exactly?
Are they good for your health?
And should you join the millions of
Americans who already take them?
To answer those questions, here’s
a primer. First, most probiotics are
live cultures of microorganisms.
These bacteria are similar to or just
like those that are naturally found
in your gut and help your body
function properly.
You can find probiotics not only
in yogurt, but also in other fer-
mented dairy products (such as kefir
and aged cheeses), some nondairy
foods (including kimchi, sauer-
kraut, miso and tempeh) and dietary
supplements.
And what about their health
benefits? There’s evidence that some
probiotics may help prevent diar-
rhea caused by infections or an-
tibiotics. Some may also ease the
symptoms of irritable bowel syn-
drome or lactose intolerance.
But the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration hasn’t approved
any health claims for probiotics.
And more research is needed to be
certain of how they may—or may
not—boost health.
One caution: Be sure to check
with your doctor before taking any
probiotic supplement.They have
a good safety record in generally
healthy people. But they may cause
severe side effects in people with
serious health problems.
Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; National
Institutes of Health
APRIL 2017
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