Natural Orifice Surgery Introduced to Relieve Acid Reflux

Montefiore Performs Incisionless Surgery Through the Mouth

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Montefiore Medical Center has introduced a natural orifice surgery through the mouth, to relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), most commonly known as acid reflux. Since this natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) does not require any incisions, recovery is faster and it is essentially scarless.

"This procedure represents the next step in the evolution of surgery, which can greatly enhance the quality of life for people who suffer from acid reflux," said Diego Camacho, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive and Laparoscopic Surgery at Montefiore and one of only a small number of surgeons performing this surgery in the U.S. since it was approved by the FDA. "The procedure through the mouth can be an option for patients who otherwise would be on reflux medication their entire lives and it is less invasive than past surgical options and results in reduced pain and discomfort."

According to Dr. Camacho, a rod-like instrument enters the esophagus transorally (through the mouth) rather than through an abdominal incision and is advanced into the esophagus under visualization of a video camera inserted down the central shaft of the device. The device then forms and fastens several tissue folds to reconstruct the anti-reflux valve, which creates a durable anti-reflux barrier. "This procedure reconstructs the antireflux valve and restores the body's natural protection against reflux," said Dr. Camacho. "It provides a solution that treats the cause of acid reflux by restoring the body's natural protection against reflux and stops further deterioration to the esophagus."

The procedure takes 45-60 minutes and the patient normally goes home the next day without taking pain medications.

Montefiore Medical Center encompasses 126 years of outstanding patient care, innovative medical "firsts," pioneering clinical research, dedicated community service and ground-breaking social activism. A full-service, integrated delivery system caring for patients in the New York metropolitan region and beyond, Montefiore is a 1,491-bed medical center that includes: four hospitals  -- the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, the Jack D. Weiler Division, the North Division and The Children's Hospital at Montefiore; a large home healthcare agency; the largest school health program in the U.S.; a 22-site medical group practice integrated throughout the Bronx and Westchester; and, a care management organization providing services to 179,000 health plan members.

Montefiore has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 50 hospitals in the country in Geriatrics, Diabetes and Endocrinology, and Neurology and Neurosurgery. The Children's Hospital at Montefiore has been consistently ranked in the magazine's Best Children's Hospitals editions, and in 2010-2011, ranked among the top 10 in the nation in Kidney Disorders and among the top 25 in the nation in Neurology and Neurosurgery.

The Leapfrog Group lists Montefiore among the top one percent of all U.S. hospitals based on its strategic investments in sophisticated and integrated healthcare technology.

Montefiore is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the future through medical education and manages one of the largest residency programs in the country. Montefiore is The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Albert Einstein College of Medicine and has an affiliation with New York Medical College for residency programs at the North Division.

Distinguished centers of excellence at Montefiore include cardiology and cardiac surgery, cancer care, tissue and organ transplantation, children's health, women's health, surgery and the surgical subspecialties.  Montefiore is a national leader in the research and treatment of diabetes, headaches, obesity, cough and sleep disorders, geriatrics and geriatric psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery, adolescent and family medicine, HIV/AIDS and social and environmental medicine, among many other specialties. For more information, please visit www.montefiore.org or www.montekids.org.

SOURCE Montefiore Medical Center