Gerd Histological and Pathological Findings
Erosion, Ulcer, Wall thickening, stricture, Barret...
The easiest way to prevent stomach contents from leaking into the esophagus is to stand or sit upright. To prevent reflux, one should not lie down after a meal and make sure that bedtime is at least 2 hours after the meal. However, if reflux occurs when lying down, reflux can be prevented by raising the head of the bed 15-20 cm and keeping the head and chest up.
Tight belts, corsets and other tight clothing should be avoided. We may need to give up choosing clothes that will put pressure on the stomach.
If you are overweight, you reduce the pressure on the stomach by losing weight. Eating small but frequent meals will help. Eating 6 fewer meals a day instead of 3 meals a day will reduce reflux. Coffee, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomatoes and fatty foods are foods that increase reflux. These or foods thought to cause reflux should be avoided.
Studies have shown that smoking relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter. It is recommended not to smoke due to its effects on reflux as well as other harmful effects of smoking. If it cannot be stopped completely, it is recommended to reduce it or take a break. Chewing gum (sugar-free) that increases saliva secretion has positive effects. If reflux continues despite all these behavioral changes, the stage of treatment with medication has been reached.
If reflux is left untreated for a long time, it causes damage to the esophagus. Thus, difficulty in swallowing, pain during swallowing, sensitive throat, hoarse voice and bleeding due to chronic cough, scar formation and stenosis in the esophagus develop. In later stages, "Barrett's esophagus" may cause changes in the esophagus cells, causing an increase in the risk of cancer and cancer development. Unfortunately, the patient's complaints cannot reveal the extent of the damage. For this reason, examinations must be performed under the supervision of a doctor.
Nowadays, we also benefit from the advantages of less pain and shorter recovery time that laparoscopic surgeries provide to the patient in the treatment of reflux disease.
Laparoscopic fundoplication surgeries, which aim to reconstruct the damaged lower esophageal sphincter, in other words the door between the stomach and the esophagus, and prevent the stomach contents from leaking into the esophagus, are widely used all over the world.
The surgery is a laparoscopic procedure performed using the latest technical developments. It is a procedure that takes approximately 1-1.5 hours, and the patient can start oral feeding the next day and be sent home the same day or the next day, and can return to work within 7 days. All the advantages of laparoscopic surgeries (such as less pain, shorter hospital stay and no post-operative risk) are utilized.
In this way, the patient is provided with a better quality of life by eliminating drug intake for years and on a daily basis, reducing inflammatory events in the esophagus, and eliminating the associated cancer risks.
The side effects of these laparoscopic fundoplication procedures performed by experienced surgeons are minimal and the success rate is between 95-100%.
It is a type of surgery recommended by appropriate patient selection as a result of joint evaluation of gastroenterologists and surgeons.
Reflux surgery, like every surgical intervention, is a procedure that carries some risks. In order to prevent risk factors, there are some important points that the patient should follow, as well as paying attention to the selection of the doctor and the clinic where the surgery will take place. First of all, if the patient is using blood thinners, these drugs should be stopped 5 - 6 days before the surgery under the supervision of the doctor. At the same time, starting from the night before the surgery, not even water should be drunk or any food should be consumed.
Before reflux surgery, if the patient has diseases such as diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure, he must inform his doctor. If you are being treated with any medication for these diseases, you should continue taking medication under the supervision of a doctor.
After reflux surgery, pain control is suppressed with painkillers prescribed by the doctor. Although it is not a very intense pain, back pain may be felt at night after the surgery.
Since no large incisions are made during the laparoscopic surgery, the risk of infection is minimal. Following the surgery, regular medical check-ups and consumption of healthy foods along with a healthy diet can prevent complications that may arise.
The patient, who starts to eat liquid foods one day after reflux surgery, must drink enough fluids. It is normal to have difficulty swallowing for a few weeks after surgery. In this case, it is recommended to consume liquid and soft foods.
The intake of foods that are difficult to digest, such as meat and bread, can only be started after the third week. Many patients may complain of swelling after surgery. However, these complaints will return to normal after a few months.
If the patient complains of reflux, pain, burning and stomach acid coming to the mouth every day, if a stomach hernia and esophagitis are diagnosed during the examination, and if the patient has been using reflux medication for many years, reflux surgery is performed using the laparoscopic method.
Experts mostly recommend reflux surgery to patients between the ages of 20 and 50. In fact, in addition to the reflux problem negatively affecting daily life and reducing the quality of life, it can also cause some digestive system problems.
Reflux surgery is performed by laparoscopic, that is, closed method. This surgical procedure, which normally requires a 2-day hospital stay, is performed by making small incisions in the abdominal area and accessing the stomach entrance with cannulas through these incisions. This procedure is performed with the help of special imaging systems to see the inside of the stomach comfortably.
In order to prevent complications that may occur after reflux surgery, it is recommended to consult surgeons who are experts in their field. At the same time, following the doctor's recommendations completely after the surgery helps prevent risk factors from occurring.