Interventional gastroenterologist Gilbert Simoni, MD, assisted by general surgeon Tom F. Measles, MD, recently performed Ventura County’s first transoral incisionless fundopli-cation (TIF) procedure, a minimally invasive solution for the relief of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Both of these physicians are certified to perform the procedure, which is a new approach to the surgical management of the disease.

GERD is a condition in which acid or bile travels backward from the stomach into the esophagus, causing a painful burning sensation.

More than 21 million people in the United States suffer from GERD. Symptoms include heartburn, belching, difficulty swallowing, nausea, coughing and wheezing, and the regurgitation of food.

“The TIF procedure is an effective alternative to medication dependency,” Simoni said. “Treating GERD with medications such as H2-blockers like Pepcid, Zantac, Axid, etc., or proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, etc., may improve symptoms of heartburn but will not eliminate the underlying reason for reflux. Recent studies have shown that taking medicine for GERD over a period of time can increase a person’s chances for hip fractures, pneumonia, C. difficile colitis and, in people who take Plavix, heart attack and stroke.”

TIF is a minimally invasive, incisionless procedure that involves passing an endoscope, a flexible tube, through the patient’s mouth and down through the esophagus to the stomach. Tissue is then folded and fastened to itself to create an anti-reflux valve.

The procedure generally takes less than one hour. Most patients go home the same day and return to work and recreational activities within a few days. They no longer need acid suppressing medication.

“There are many advantages to this procedure,” Measles said. “It’s incisionless so there’s no cutting. The recovery time is much shorter than with surgery, and the success rate is very high. In fact, at two years after the procedure, studies show that 93 percent of patients reported cessation of heartburn and 79 percent reported a complete cure or remission of their GERD.”

For more information, call Los Robles Hospital’s information line at (877) 888-5746.