A new study on Stretta anti-reflux therapy was recently published in Frontline Gastroenterology, reinforcing the value and safety of Stretta as a viable option for many patients who are unwilling or unable to undergo surgical intervention.

“Endoscopic day case anti-reflux radiofrequency (Stretta) therapy improves quality of life and reduces proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dependency in patients with gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GERD): a prospective study from a UK tertiary centre.”

The study followed 50 patients post Stretta therapy for an average of 771 days with overall improvement among patients, and reported no procedure-related complications. Improvement was measured in terms of a GERD-HRQL (health-related quality of life) score. The GERD-HRQL is a validated questionnaire that quantifies changes of typical GERD symptoms (e.g. heartburn and regurgitation) in response to medical or surgical intervention.

In this UK study, the average score improved from 46.2/75 (±14.2) pre-procedure to 15.2/75 (±17.3) post-procedure. Dissatisfaction with GERD (or GORD as it’s referred to in the UK), as measured in the questionnaire, decreased from 100% to just 10% of patients reporting residual dissatisfaction with GERD. Only three patients (of the 50 studied) showed no improvement at the time of follow up. Additionally, two patients were considered “late failures” (as of the time the manuscript was submitted).

The authors reiterated the lack of therapeutic alternatives to anti-reflux surgery for refractory GORD/GERD, and concluded that this research “corroborates the value and safety of Stretta as a viable option for selected patients who are unwilling or unable to undergo an operation.” Further, it reinforces what other studies have illustrated — Stretta is effective in reducing GERD symptoms, improves quality of life and decreases long term PPI dependency in a certain subset of GERD patients.

Access the abstract or purchase the full article here.

About Stretta Therapy

For decades, the clinical solutions to reflux have been limited. Physicians were limited to offering GERD patients long-term drug therapy or surgical intervention. Stretta bridges this treatment gap. For patients suffering from chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) not well controlled with medications, or where long-term medications are not a viable option, Stretta offers an alternative to surgery or implanted devices.

Stretta therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that significantly reduces GERD symptoms, allowing the majority of patients to eliminate or largely decrease use of PPIs. Stretta is an outpatient procedure per­formed in less than 60 minutes, allowing patients to return to normal activities the fol­lowing day. Stretta doesn’t require any incisions, stitches or implants.

How Stretta Works

The Stretta system delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the muscle between the stomach and esophagus, which remodels and improves the muscle tissue, resulting in improved barrier function and fewer reflux events. Stretta treats the underlying problem that may cause GERD without surgery.

RF energy is an energy waveform which is used in many medical specialties:

• Cardiologists use RF to stop dangerous heart rhythms
• Urologists use RF for treating prostate enlargement
• Ear, nose, and throat specialists use RF to eliminate snoring and sleep apnea
• RF is used in cosmetic procedures for body contouring, skin rejuvenation and tightening

Are you ready to learn more about Stretta? Schedule an in-office demo today.