Surgery and Cancer
Adenocarcinoma is a kind of cancer of the esophagus that is greatly affecting a lot of people in Western Europe and the United States. Acid reflux disease is commonly blamed as a factor to this plight. It is considered that GERD has the ability to damage the cells coating the esophagus. This is due to the stomach acid that results to cell alteration. In the long run, this turns into adenocarcinoma.
The usual medication used in treating simple heartburn is to manage its signs by manipulating the acid. Barret’s esophagus which is one of the complications of GERD is remedied by either management of the acid regardless of indications or by undergoing GERD or acid reflux surgery. It is advised that persons with Barret’s esophagus should submit for constant examination like endoscopy and biopsy for early detection and healing of adenocarcinoma.
GERD surgery and the different methods used
For several years, the usual surgical procedure used in curing acid reflux entails a cut in the higher part of the stomach. But as of the present, laparoscopic surgical methods are being used by surgeons to deviate from the conventional procedure. This type of treatment needs only some tiny pierced cuts in the stomach.
The difference between laparoscopic surgery and conventional surgical procedure is that the former results to only a few irritations for the patient making them recover in just a short period of time. This made people favor the procedure instead of seeking help through the aid of oral medications.
As of the present, endoscopy is considered as a more advanced technique in treating GERD. This is more comforting to the patient and requires shorter recovery compared to laparoscopic surgery. However, it is still too soon to conclude its efficacy. This leads us to say that both oral medication and surgical procedure are believed to be efficient in managing acid reflux and putting off GERD.
Disadvantages of oral medication for GERD
Oral medication for GERD is considered more expensive than surgery because it is required for long time use. In fact, it may extend throughout the lifespan of the patient. To some extent, problems may arise regarding the obedience of the patient to the medication since some patients may take the medications only when they are experiencing symptoms. The patient may forget to take the medication continuously or they may double their dose if they forgot to take it at a required time.
Due to these reasons some doctors advice their patients to just undergo surgical procedure for their condition especially if their patients are at a risk for adenocarcinoma. However, managing the acid either through medication or surgical procedure is still not enough to eliminate the risk of this condition. It is actually a choice of the patient.
The study conducted in 2001in Sweden showed that dangers of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is six times more in individuals with GERD and surgery. Even medications cannot protect them from acquiring the disease. Therefore, the key factor in treating and preventing this cancer is early diagnosis, detection and treatment.