Endoscopic Treatment for GERD: When Is It the Next Best Step?

Has your heartburn become a chronic condition? If medication isn’t helping your GERD, an endoscopy can identify the root cause of your discomfort and treat it at the same time.

You’ve been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Your doctor prescribed a protein pump inhibitor, and you’ve taken it for the recommended duration. However, you’re still encountering problems — the symptoms aren’t improving, or they’re getting worse.

Our team at Desert Valley Gastroenterology performs endoscopy both for diagnosing and treating GERD. If medication isn’t helping you, an endoscopy is the next step in your treatment.

GERD-related conditions an endoscopy may reveal

If medication isn’t helping GERD symptoms, you may experience additional issues, including vomiting, anemia, and weight loss. An endoscopy allows us to investigate why your symptoms are worsening instead of abating.

The lining of your esophagus may be bleeding due to constant acidic irritation. You could have developed an esophageal abscess, which requires immediate treatment.

When you have GERD, scar tissue can form over time and cause your esophagus to become constricted. Polyps may be present. You may have Barrett’s esophagus, or precancerous cells that can lead to esophageal cancer.

We need to find out which condition is causing the problem and make the needed repairs. We can examine your GI system and administer treatment during an endoscopy.

Preparation for an endoscopy

We provide written pre- and post-procedure instructions. You need to fast for eight hours before your endoscopy, and we provide specific guidance on medications. For example, you need to stop taking any blood thinners a day or so before the test.

Plan to have a family member or friend come with you to this outpatient procedure. You can’t drive yourself home.

What an endoscopy entails

You’re sedated during the endoscopy. We also administer a local anesthetic to your throat and mouth.

Once you’re sedated, your physician moves the endoscope — a long tube with a miniature camera and light — into your esophagus toward the stomach and duodenum. Your doctor visualizes your tissue and organs, and the tiny camera relays images to a computer monitor.

Endoscopic treatments for GERD

Your doctor can biopsy small samples of tissue or perform needed treatments once the endoscope is in place.

For example, if your esophageal lining is bleeding, your doctor stops the bleeding using heat, sclerotherapy, or a special device. If your esophagus is constricted, your doctor can insert a small balloon into the scope to stretch the tissue or insert a stent to keep your airway open.

Other endoscopic treatments include using a laser or thermal probe to burn away tumors or polyps. If your doctor sees cancerous tissue, they perform an endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) to eradicate the abnormal tissue.

If GERD is inhibiting your quality of life, you can count on our team of endoscopy experts. Call Desert Valley Gastroenterology today to take the next step in your treatment.