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Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, director of endoscopy at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, became a gastroenterologist because she has a very strong interest in oncology and cancer prevention. Since Barretts is one of the fastest-rising cancers in the American population, she feels it makes the clinical work as well as the research very exciting. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

Are you having symptoms of reflux frequently? Have they persisted for a long time? If the answer is yes, you should see your primary care physician or an internist. They may prescribe a course of acid blocking medication to treat the symptoms. If the symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend that you see a gastroenterologist. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

We need acid to help us digest our food but in many people, the junction between the esophagus and the stomach become compromised and causes acid reflux, which can lead to Barretts esophagus. Typical symptoms include heartburn and regurgitation. Atypical symptoms include chronic cough, hoarseness, globus, and asthma. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure used to treat Barretts esophagus. In a 45-minute procedure a balloon and a catheter with ablation electrodes are passed into the esophagus through an endoscope. Then in a very quick burst of radiofrequency energy, the lining of the esophagus is quickly treated. The patient typically requires 3-4 of these treatments over time. The outcomes are quite effective. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

When the distal esophagus is bathed in acid reflux over a long period of time it is thought that the lining of the esophagus changes. This is not something that happens overnight. It is something that happens over years. It is estimated that 20% of the US population has symptoms of acid reflux. Of those about 12-15% of those people have Barretts esophagus. About 0.5-1% of those patients have esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is one of the most rapidly rising cancers in the United States today. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

Today we have endoscopic therapies including radiofrequency ablation, cryotherapy, and endoscopic mucosal resection to treat Barretts esophagus. Often times an endoscopic mucosal resection is combined with radiofrequency ablation. The endoscopic mucosal resection removes the unhealthy portion then the radiofrequency ablation removes anything that could develop into a cancer in the future. In all procedures, performed by gastroenterologists, patients go home right afterwards. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, director of endoscopy at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, describes endoscopic mucosal resection. It is typically performed for Barretts esophagus, early cancer of the esophagus, or pre-cancer of the esophagus. During the minimally invasive procedure, polyps or parts of the lining of the esophagus are removed. It is quite effective for the early treatment of cancer. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

The association between acid reflux and Barretts esophagus was first described in the early 1950s. It wasn’t until several years later that physicians realized that it was an alteration of the lining of the esophagus. In Barretts esophagus the lining changes and starts to resemble other parts of the GI tract. Barretts is a pre-courser to cancer. Today gastroenterologists typically manage the condition. With modern technologies they can detect and treat cancer at a very early stage. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

If you’ve been diagnosed with and treated for Barretts esophagus, your doctor will probably recommend that you remain on an acid blocking medication, which will be used to treat the symptoms of reflux. You may need ongoing endoscopies and biopsies typically recommended every three years. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.

Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, director of endoscopy at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, explains how a laser performs imaging of the very superficial lining of the esophagus and what patients can expect when having the procedure. Testing provides a standard view of the esophagus and a microscopic view of the esophagus, which allow physicians to determine normal esophageal lining from pre-cancerous Barretts esophagus, also called dysplasia, at a very early stage. For more information, call: 1-800-MD-SINAI.