Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 12:00 am
Mid-valley residents with Barretts Esophagus can benefit from a minimally-invasive procedure now being offered by Terrance Hill, MD, at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. SLCH is the only hospital in the Willamette Valley to offer this procedure, which uses the HALO System equipment from Barrx Medical.
Barretts Esophagus is a condition in the lining of the esophagus which can lead to certain types of esophageal cancer. It is caused by acid reflux.
Dr. Hill, a gastroenterologist who performs endoscopic procedures at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital and Samaritan Endoscopy Center in Corvallis, is now performing the new procedure, which uses small amounts of electricity to remove areas of concern from the esophagus.
"I'm excited about it," said Hill, who has done 24 procedures in the last six months, with a high success rate. "Now you don't have to live with a cloud over your head. You can do something about it."
The procedure is called ablation. It involves an endoscopic instrument with a special electrically-charged exterior surface that burns away the external layers of diseased tissue, but leaves deeper layers untouched. The patient is sedated during the procedure, which takes about an hour.
Hill said the procedure causes some discomfort in the esophagus, but it clears up within four days for most patients.
"This tends to be tolerated by a vast majority of people," he said.
Recent statistics indicate that 3.3 million Americans over the age of 50 suffer from Barretts Esophagus. The condition will progress to cancer in about 10 percent of those afflicted.
Hill said the equipment and procedure underwent a clinical trial with 5,000 patients through the Mayo Clinic in Chicago, with a cure rate at about 95 percent.
For more information, call Dr. Hill's office at 451-6380.