Barrett's esophagus is overdue
Written by:HALO ablation technology gets the complete removal of diseased tissue without harming the surrounding normal structures. It is a technique used in the specialty of digestive section .
Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition that affects the lining of the esophagus, the tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which stomach acid and enzymes cause injury to the lining of the esophagus, causing symptoms such as heartburn, regurgitation and chest pain. In some patients the normal esophageal cells are damaged and over time can result in inflammation and genetic changes that cause cells are altered. If a patient has symptoms of GERD more than 3 times a week, you should consult your doctor. It is estimated that 13% of patients with GERD also have Barrett's esophagus.
The diagnosis is made after performing a gastroscopy where biopsies are taken in the esophageal inflammation. The finding of intestinal cells in the esophagus confirms the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus. There are different degrees Barrett's intestinal metaplasia, low grade dysplasia, high grade dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
The joint recommendations of medical societies suggest performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy to patients with Barrett's esophagus, regular and lifetime. The frequency will be much higher in patients with dysplasia, due to increased risk of developing cancer.
In addition to the approaches for endoscopic observation for Barrett's esophagus, there are treatment options. Recreational endoscopic treatment is radiofrequency ablation or HALO. This is a technique in which the tissue is heated until it ceases to be viable or living being, by using a heat energy is applied precisely controlled. HALO ablation technology is able to achieve complete removal of diseased tissue without harming the surrounding normal structures.
The treatment is done in conjunction with upper endoscopy without hospitalization or incisions, several sessions being necessary to remove the Barrett's tissue. It represents a breakthrough in the treatment of the disease, since until now we did was wait for the appearance of esophageal cancer and then proceed to surgery, with greater risk and subsequent problems.
