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From: Melissa
Date: 03/13/01
Time: 15:32:15
I've seen comments on this board from around 3 or so people who have had the Endocinch. None of them improved after the procedure. I also just read somewhere (maybe on the Barretts-gerd-reflux email list--can't remember) that some/parts of the stitches couldn't be removed because esophageal tissue had grown over them. This was in one particular person, and might not be the case for everyone. Then there is the Stretta (which has never sounded very safe to me). Someone on the Barretts-gerd-reflux list was scheduled to have it done at Stanford, but it was cancelled because two people who had it there developed serious complications. One I believe got a perforated esophagus and died. As far as I know the other person survived. This was early in the use of the procedure in Stanford too, so they hadn't done many. At that time all Strettas there were put on hold. I don't know whether they have decided to start doing them again or not. Just IMHO there isn't much data available on the safety of the Stretta (especially long term). It doesn't sound like such a good idea to me--imagine *burning* the inside of the esophagus in someone with gerd. Someone has has gotten his esophagus damaged already from repeated burning due to acid and/or bile reflux. How do they control how much burning is done? If damage from reflux *can* (but may not) lead to esophageal cancer, what will this intense burning do? What if they burn the tissue too much? What about scar tissue.
As you can tell, I am quite skeptical of the Stretta. The Endocinch sounds much safer to me.
Melissa, Tessie@io.com