Nonsurgical acid reflux therapies work -US study

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Two nonsurgical procedures relieve many symptoms of acid reflux disease including heartburn in people who are not helped by the medications typically used to treat it, U.S. researchers said on Friday.

In this chronic condition, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, irritating its lining and causing inflammation. Persistent, often-severe heartburn is the most common symptom.

Most people are helped if they take a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors such as AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) Nexium and Prilosec, Wyeth's WYE.N Protonix, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's (4502.T) Prevacid and Eisai Inc's (4523.T) Aciphex.

For those who are not helped by medications, there are few options short of surgery.

The new study, published in the journal Archives of Surgery, found two rarely performed so-called endoluminal therapies reduced heartburn, swallowing difficulties and voice hoarseness in many patients who underwent them.

Both are done using an endoscope, a long flexible instrument inserted through the mouth and down the esophagus.

One procedure called full-thickness plication uses the endoscope to tighten the junction between the esophagus and the stomach with sutures. The other, called radiofrequency therapy, uses heat to improve the function of the valve between the esophagus and stomach.

In this study, 68 patients underwent radiofrequency treatment and 58 had full-thickness plication.