Diagnostics (Jun 2023)

New Perspectives in Endoscopic Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

  • Federica Calabrese,
  • Valeria Poletti,
  • Francesco Auriemma,
  • Danilo Paduano,
  • Carmine Gentile,
  • Antonio Facciorusso,
  • Gianluca Franchellucci,
  • Alessandro De Marco,
  • Luca Brandaleone,
  • Andrew Ofosu,
  • Jayanta Samanta,
  • Daryl Ramai,
  • Luca De Luca,
  • Abed Al-Lehibi,
  • Walter Zuliani,
  • Cesare Hassan,
  • Alessandro Repici,
  • Benedetto Mangiavillano

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13122057
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 12
p. 2057

Abstract

Read online

Gastroesophageal reflux disease has a high incidence and prevalence in the general population. Clinical manifestations are heterogenous, and so is the response to medical treatment. Proton pump inhibitors are still the most common agents used to control reflux symptoms and for healing esophagitis, but they are not a one-size-fits-all solution for the disease. Patients with persistent troublesome symptoms despite medical therapy, those experiencing some adverse drug reaction, or those unwilling to take lifelong medications deserve valid alternatives. Anti-reflux Nissen fundoplication is an effective option, but the risk of adverse events has limited its spread. In recent years, advancements in therapeutic endoscopy have been made, and three major endoluminal alternatives are now available, including (1) the delivery of radiofrequency energy to the esophago–gastric junction, (2) transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), and (3) anti-reflux mucosal interventions (ARMI) based on mucosal resection (ARMS) and mucosal ablation (ARMA) techniques to remodel the cardia. Endoscopic techniques have shown interesting results, but their diffusion is still limited to expert endoscopists in tertiary centers. This review discusses the state of the art in the endoscopic approach to gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Keywords