laparoscopic surgery?

  I am a 24 years old male, four years ago the gastroenterologist detect me a small barrett esophagus, and hiatal hernia, i am very confused because some Dr's said that a laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of the hernia, it can't be apply on my self  because i have barrett, and the only way for the treatment is the traditional surgery. Another group of gastroenterologist said that the laparoscopic surgery is OK and recommend me this treatment, that i prefer. Idon't know what to do.
  What kind of surgery recommend in my case?.
  I really do appreciate an helpful information
  Thank you
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Dear Guillermo,
You raise several interesting issues with your e-mail.  We know that 1) Barrett's esophagus can progress to cancer of the esophagus, 2) surveillance endoscopy can detect premalignant change allowing for surgical intervention thereby preventing the development of cancer, and 3) neither medical or surgical treament consistently changes barrett's esophagus to normal mucosa.
You should consider surgical treament if you have severe symptoms of reflux that are not controlled with maximal medical therapy or if you do not want to take medicines indefinitely.  The goal of the surgery is to reduce reflux. A laparoscopic procedure is the same inside as the more extensive incision operation.  The only difference is that recovery from a laparoscopic operation is much faster because of the smaller incision.  AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT HAVING SURGERY WILL NOT REDUCE YOUR REQUIREMENT TO HAVE SERIAL UPPER ENDOSCOPY TO LOOK FOR PREMA:IGNANT CONDITIONS.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation.  Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
If you would like to be seen at our institution, please call 1-800-653-6568, our Referring Physicians' Office, and make an appointment to see Dr.Zonca, one of our experts in the evaluation of Barrett's esophagus.  He can evaluate your esophagus and provide more detailed information regarding Barrett's esophagus.  If you choose to have surgery, he can have you seen by a surgeon with extensive experience doing laparoscopic techniques.
Besy of luck.
HDHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: Barrett's esophagus, lapaoscopic surgery, esophageal cancer
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