Hospital offers reflux surgery without incisions

North Valley Hospital has news for those who suffer with daily heartburn or other symptoms of reflux such as regurgitation, chronic cough, hoarseness and dental erosions.  

Dr. Ryan Gunlikson offers a new surgical procedure requiring no incision that provides an anatomical cure. 

Until now, reflux sufferers faced either daily medications with often incomplete resolution of their symptoms or the risks of invasive surgery.  

Now they have a better option with Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication, a procedure performed through the mouth to repair the antireflux barrier.

According to a press release from North Valley Hospital, Gunlikson is the first specialist in Montana to be trained on the procedure.  

“The TIF procedure can significantly improve quality of life for our patients,” Gunlikson said.  “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is an anatomical problem which needs an anatomical solution.”

The physician said that reflux medication such as proton pump inhibitors can help relieve patients’ heartburn symptoms but doesn’t solve the underlying anatomical problems or prevent further disease progression. Even when using these medications, many patients still are unable to eat the foods they want or have to sleep sitting up to reduce nighttime reflux, Gunlikson said.

Recent studies also have shown that longterm use of proton pump inhibitors can lead to inadequate absorption of minerals such as calcium and can result in bone fractures. Clinical trials show that after the new procedure, most patients can eat and drink foods they avoided for many years.  

This surgery is based on established principles of repair of the antireflux barrier, except that it is “surgery from within” performed through the mouth. The procedure reduces hiatal hernias and creates a valve between the stomach and esophagus restoring the natural, physiological anatomy to prevent reflux.  

Because the procedure is incisionless, there is reduced pain, faster recovery and no visible scar. Gunlikson said.  

Laparoscopy or minimally invasive surgery typically requires three to five port holes and the same internal incisions and organ disruption as open surgery.  This requires neither abdominal incisions nor internal dissection. 

“Recent studies show that TIF can reduce patients’ dependency on medications with 79 percent of patients remaining off their daily medications after two years and experiencing a dramatic improvement in their quality of life,”  Gunlikson said.

Jason Spring, chief executive officer of North Valley Hospital, called this procedure a great complement to North Valley’s single-incision laparoscopic surgeries and minimally invasive robot-assisted surgical procedures offered for urological and gynecological patients since early this year.