Saint Francis Hospital Now Offering Transoral Incisionless Surgery to Treat Heartburn and Acid Reflux
Saint Francis Hospital is pleased to announce that a multidisciplinary team is now offering the Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF®) procedure using the innovative EsophyX® device for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The team was first established by Sohaib Jamil, M.D., F.A.C.G., a gastroenterologist, who added James Bittner, M.D., F.A.C.S., a minimally invasive and metabolic surgeon.
GERD and heartburn affect over 20 million Americans. Symptoms of GERD include regurgitation, difficulty or pain with swallowing, chest pain or tightness, chronic cough, chronic postnasal drip, hoarseness, and dental erosions. The TIF procedure now gives patients suffering from GERD and heartburn a minimally invasive option for treatment.
“The TIF procedure can significantly improve quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. Jamil. “Studies show that the TIF procedure can reduce patients’ dependency on medications with 75% of patients completely off daily medications after three years.”
The incisionless TIF procedure is performed while the patient is completely asleep, using a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth. The intervention, which tightens and restores the integrity of the gastroesophageal barrier, can take 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Patients are discharged home the same day with minimal recovery period and no need for narcotic pain medication. Following the procedure, most patients can come off proton-pump inhibitors, which are the mainstay of medical treatment of GERD.
“With millions of Americans diagnosed with GERD and not fully satisfied with their treatment options, the TIF procedure offers an alternative that is scientifically backed with research and is covered by many insurance plans,” said Dr. Bittner. “TIF offers patients a less invasive, more durable treatment that leads to excellent outcomes.”
“We are proud to offer this innovative treatment to our patients,” said Thomas Burke, BPharm, MBA, President of Saint Francis Hospital. “We are committed to providing the most state-of-the-art care and are excited for our patients to be able to receive the TIF procedure to treat this incredibly common problem.”
To learn more about TIF, visit www.gerdhelp.com.
About Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital has been an anchor institution in Connecticut since 1897. Saint Francis is a member of Trinity Health Of New England and Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is a 617-bed hospital, a major teaching hospital, and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, and Community Health and Well Being, which includes the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, and the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SaintFrancisCT