Does the development of innovative NOTES devices for improving the function of the lower esophageal sphincter LES continue? What role will Polymethylmethacrylate PMMA beads play in the thicken of the tissue and the strengthen of the LES when the microbeads are implanted in local tissue adjacent to the LES? Will the promising work in Endoscopic Suturing for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease GERD continue with the NDO Plicator system, the Wilson-Cook Medical ESD system Sew-Right device and other Endoscopic Gastroplasty devices?
IIP > read on here > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…
…Endoluminal gastroplication has been used with limited success for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). This method was used in 119 patients with GORD, and the results from short-term and long-term followup of symptoms and the use of acid suppression medication are reported. The purpose of this study was also to report on the effect of a second procedure on selected patients…The Bard EndoCinch endosuturing system was used for all procedures. Data were recorded at 3 and 12 months, and symptoms and medication use were registered by means of a telephone survey after an average of 41 months (range 27-55 months). A second procedure was carried out in 20 of the initial patients, and mean follow-up time was 39 months (range 15-51 months)…There were very few complications of the procedure. Heartburn severity score was reduced from an initial 21.4 to 12.4 (p < 0.01) and 13.4 (p < 0.01) at 3 and 12 months, respectively, corresponding to a reduction in the use of acid suppression from 8.7 doses per week (DD/w) to 4.0 (p < 0.01) and 5.6 DD/w (p < 0.01). At long-term follow-up there was a return towards baseline values for acid suppression use (6.4 DD/w, p = 0.06), whereas the heartburn severity score remained low (8.5, p < 0.01). Loss of sutures was significant, from an average of 2.51 applied sutures to 1.87 (p < 0.01) and 1.81 (p < 0.01) remaining sutures at 3 and 12 months, respectively. After the second procedure, the heartburn severity score fell from an initial 22.5 to 12.7 (p < 0.01) after 3 months and remained low at long-term follow-up (6.6, p < 0.01). The corresponding data for acid suppression use were 11.7, 3.6 (p < 0.01) and 5.2 (p < 0.01) DD/w. Number of sutures increased from an average of 2.15 sutures placed initially, with 2.65 sutures added at the second procedure, to an average of 2.80 remaining sutures (p < 0.01) at 3 months…Endoluminal gastroplication has a significant, yet transient effect on symptom score and the use of acid suppressants in GORD patients. A selection of patients for a subsequent procedure may be of value.