NEED INFO ON A POSSIBLE 'CURE' FOR REFLUX????

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON A NEW PROCEDURE CALLED THE ENDOCINCH TO TREAT ACID REFLUX? SUPPOSEDLY THEY USE AN ENDOSCOPE AND GO DOWN YOUR THROAT WITH IT. AT THE END IS A TINY "SEWING MACHINE" THAT PLACES PLEATS IN THE LES IN ORDER TO TIGHTEN IT UP AND THUS REDUCE REFLUX. IT IS RELATIVELY NEW, BUT I AM CONSIDERING IT. MY DR. HAS SUGGESTED THE NISSEN SURGERY BUT I AM SCARED TO DEATH AND WOULD RATHER TRY SOMETHING ALITTLE LESS INVASIVE. ANY THOUGHTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS.

[jaspur]

Ask your GI Doc why the less invasive procedure wont work for you. And then get a second opinion form a surgeon that has done a lot of Nissan fundolplications procedures. Check it out. Good Luck.

[kajo]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY. MY DR. IS OKAY WITH ME CHECKING IT OUT. HIS GROUP DOES NOT DO THIS NEW PROCEDURE BUT HE FOUND A G.I. GROUP WHO DOES. HE JUST THINKS THAT THE NISSEN HAS BEEN IN PRACTICE SO MUCH LONGER AND THERE IS A TON MORE FOLLOW UP INFO ON THESE PATIENTS..... BUT I DID TELL HIM THAT I CANNOT MAKE THE DECISION TO HAVE THE NISSEN UNTIL I KNOW I HAVE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED ALL OF MY OTHER OPTIONS. HE IS TOTALLY OKAY WITH IT AND IS GOING TO FAX ALL OF MY RECORDS TO THIS OTHER G.I. DOC. I DO NOT WANT TO USE UP MY TOTAL LAST OPTION OF SURGERY AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME. I AM ONLY 37 YEARS OLD! AND BESIDES, NO PROCEDURE IS 100% GUARANTEED, NOT EVEN THE NISSEN, AND I HAVE HEARD ALOT OF POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT SURGERY SUCH AS THE INABILITY TO BURP OR VOMIT, POSSIBLE DUMPING SYNDROME TO NAME A FEW. AM I CRAZY TO WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEWER?

[Baseball_Mom]

Hi - I had the Nissen Funduplication surgery in September of 1995.  No one told me when I had it done that it is only guaranteed to work for 7 to 10 years.  Then the procedure needs to be redone or live on something like Nexium the rest of your life.  In March of 2001 I had a bout with bronchitis and all the coughing I did knocked something lose.  I'm now having to take Nexium 40mg twice a day for acid reflux/heartburn.  I did a quick search on google.com and came up with this information for you regarding the procedure you were asking about:

http://www.endocinch.com/bard.cfm

There is also another procedure called the Stretta.  Here is a website for that one too.  

http://www.sdheartburn.com/pages/stretta.html

I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision.  I can say that the from 9/95 - 3/01 I had no heartburn or acid reflux and life was wonderful.  What pain though when it came back.  The doctors do not recommend having the Nissen redone.  Take care and best of luck to you.

[jaspur]

Your on the right track checking it out .I asked my GI doc and teo surgeons form Beth Isreal Deconess Hospital in Boston about how long the Nissan wrap will last and there was no hesitation that it was to las for your lifetime. It is not the kind of operation that you would want to do every 7 years? Concerning the complications (actually this is why I am seeing these surgeons..I had the procedure done in 1995)I cannot vomit or burp it is impossible! So I do have the gas/bloat syndrome which has its own problems. But due to my having Barretts the gas/bloat is a better option for me. And I do believe that if I really watched my diet the gas/bloat could be controlled (some) and I do not have reflux so I do not have to take any meds.

[Baseball_Mom]

Jaspur - If your doctors told you it would last for a lifetime, then they have lied to you. I have had several different gastro doctors and the surgeon who did my procedure tell me that they thought when they did mine back in 1995 that that procedure would last for a lifetime.  However, they are finding out that is not the case.  The average span of time that the Nissen cures the reflux problem is 7 to 10 years.  If you get more than 10 years out of the procedure, consider yourself very lucky. Take care!

[sandmat]

I know of a wonderful herb called "synergy" that works for all kinds of indigestion problems.  My mom has suffered terribly from acid reflux and has had no problems for the last 2 months since I told her about the synergy.  If interested email me at ***@****