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Home > Archive > Heartburn Support > July 2006 > Stretta questions
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| Blocks to Books 2006-07-31, 9:23 pm |
| I am a long-time gerd sufferer. I have reflux laryngitis, diagnosed by an
ent years ago. I've chosen to manage my symptoms through diet and lifestyle
changes. I don't like the fact that the gerd medications only change the
nature of the reflux and do not stop the reflux. I've had none of the more
modern tests done. It was diagnosed by the ent from my symptoms and from a
look at my larynx with a lighted tiny scope put down my nose.
Can the stretta procedure be done on a person who chooses not to use
medications and who wants the chance for actual relief; such as a successful
stretta procedure might provide? I do not want to take the risk of a more
invasive operation than the stretta at this time.
I am not overweight. I don't smoke or drink I am a female athlete in her
50s. My reflux was under good control for many years but in the last year I
have been unable to control it adequately through diet and lifestyle
changes. The nature of the reflux has changed to a thick mucous in my
throat that causes coughing. I always had coughing in years past, but there
was rarely mucous and the reflux cough was a dry one brought on by a throat
tickle the reflux caused.
I still choose not to use the medications because I believe they cause
problems of their own and they do not prevent ongoing damage. I also
recently learned the medications can be a cause of pneumonia though
aspirated stomach contents that are not sterilized due to a lack of stomach
acid. I reflux all the way into my sinuses and I think I am now aspirating
reflux into my bronchial tubes because I've developed this mucousy cough
after meals.
I want to go for the stretta without having to be a reflux medication
failure first. Do you know if a surgeon might be willing to do this for me
or would I have to be on the meds and have them fail first? That makes no
sense to me.
Thanks so much.
Blocks to Books
www.blockstobooks.com
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| Howard McCollister 2006-07-31, 9:23 pm |
|
"Blocks to Books" <news@blockstobooks.com> wrote in message
news:zTvzg.20191$_c1.19040@fed1read05...
>I am a long-time gerd sufferer. I have reflux laryngitis, diagnosed by an
>ent years ago. I've chosen to manage my symptoms through diet and
>lifestyle changes. I don't like the fact that the gerd medications only
>change the nature of the reflux and do not stop the reflux. I've had none
>of the more modern tests done. It was diagnosed by the ent from my
>symptoms and from a look at my larynx with a lighted tiny scope put down my
>nose.
>
> Can the stretta procedure be done on a person who chooses not to use
> medications and who wants the chance for actual relief; such as a
> successful stretta procedure might provide? I do not want to take the
> risk of a more invasive operation than the stretta at this time.
>
> I am not overweight. I don't smoke or drink I am a female athlete in her
> 50s. My reflux was under good control for many years but in the last year
> I have been unable to control it adequately through diet and lifestyle
> changes. The nature of the reflux has changed to a thick mucous in my
> throat that causes coughing. I always had coughing in years past, but
> there was rarely mucous and the reflux cough was a dry one brought on by a
> throat tickle the reflux caused.
>
> I still choose not to use the medications because I believe they cause
> problems of their own and they do not prevent ongoing damage. I also
> recently learned the medications can be a cause of pneumonia though
> aspirated stomach contents that are not sterilized due to a lack of
> stomach acid. I reflux all the way into my sinuses and I think I am now
> aspirating reflux into my bronchial tubes because I've developed this
> mucousy cough after meals.
>
> I want to go for the stretta without having to be a reflux medication
> failure first. Do you know if a surgeon might be willing to do this for
> me or would I have to be on the meds and have them fail first? That makes
> no sense to me.
>
EGD would need to be done to assess the state of your esophagus and
determine whether or not a hiatus hernia is present, and if so, its size.
Ambulatory pH testing would need to done to confirm that you have reflux,
and to what extent it occurs and under what conditions. Esophageal manometry
would need to be done to assess esophageal function, and the state of the
lower esophageal sphincter. Assuming no large hiatus hernia, and a
reasonable resting LES tone, and no acute esophagitis, Stretta would be a
viable option. Be aware that some or many insurance companies still label
Stretta "investigational" and won't pay for it. In some cases, they will pay
for it, but only after documented medication failure.
HMc
| |
| Blocks to Books 2006-07-31, 9:23 pm |
|
"Howard McCollister" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:44ce9dff$0$65892$bb4e3ad8@newscene.com...
>
> "Blocks to Books" <news@blockstobooks.com> wrote in message
> news:zTvzg.20191$_c1.19040@fed1read05...
>
>
> EGD would need to be done to assess the state of your esophagus and
> determine whether or not a hiatus hernia is present, and if so, its size.
> Ambulatory pH testing would need to done to confirm that you have reflux,
> and to what extent it occurs and under what conditions. Esophageal
> manometry would need to be done to assess esophageal function, and the
> state of the lower esophageal sphincter. Assuming no large hiatus hernia,
> and a reasonable resting LES tone, and no acute esophagitis, Stretta would
> be a viable option. Be aware that some or many insurance companies still
> label Stretta "investigational" and won't pay for it. In some cases, they
> will pay for it, but only after documented medication failure.
>
> HMc
>
>
Thank you very much for the comprehensive response. Thank you also for
explaining why they require people to be failing on medications. It makes
sense that it's an insurance requirement. Otherwise it seemed like a
senseless requirement. (Ins. companies do need to protect their bottom line
and I guess that's one way to do it.)
I don't know what a stretta procedure costs, but I would be willing to save
up my money and pay out of pocket for the procedure or take out a loan to
have it done if I qualified after the other testing showed I was a good
stretta candidate. I can't cope with going on the meds I know that.
Would the same doctor who does the stretta be able to do the tests you
mention or does testing have to be done by a gasto doctor? (Perhaps gastro
doctors do the stretta. I'm fairly ignorant but getting desperate due to the
lpr symptoms I'm no longer able to control.) I live in the Phoenix, Arizona
area. Thank you so much for being willing to share your expertise with
people.
| |
| Howard McCollister 2006-07-31, 9:23 pm |
|
"Blocks to Books" <news@blockstobooks.com> wrote in message
news:1txzg.20202$_c1.19250@fed1read05...
>
> "Howard McCollister" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:44ce9dff$0$65892$bb4e3ad8@newscene.com...
> Thank you very much for the comprehensive response. Thank you also for
> explaining why they require people to be failing on medications. It makes
> sense that it's an insurance requirement. Otherwise it seemed like a
> senseless requirement. (Ins. companies do need to protect their bottom
> line and I guess that's one way to do it.)
>
> I don't know what a stretta procedure costs, but I would be willing to
> save up my money and pay out of pocket for the procedure or take out a
> loan to have it done if I qualified after the other testing showed I was a
> good stretta candidate. I can't cope with going on the meds I know that.
>
> Would the same doctor who does the stretta be able to do the tests you
> mention or does testing have to be done by a gasto doctor? (Perhaps
> gastro doctors do the stretta. I'm fairly ignorant but getting desperate
> due to the lpr symptoms I'm no longer able to control.) I live in the
> Phoenix, Arizona area. Thank you so much for being willing to share your
> expertise with people.
>
Gastroenterologists and surgeons are specialties that do Stretta, and
perhaps some ENTs (the guy that invented Stretta is an ENT). Generally (not
always) gastroenterogists do the esophageal testing, however, beware because
not that many gastoenterologists understand GERD all that well IMHO. Best
best is to go to the Curon website physician locator (
http://www.curonmedical.com/Patient...ianlocator.html ) , find a
physician that does Stretta and make an appointment.
HMc
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