Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Some nonsurgical procedures are being tested that may be an alternative to surgery for GERD. These procedures are still undergoing trials to find out their long-term safety and effectiveness. These are nonsurgical treatments, so no cuts are made. Instead, these treatments are done through the mouth into the esophagus. An endoscope is placed in your mouth and down your throat into your esophagus. The endoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube. The doctor can see into your esophagus using this tube. The different kinds of nonsurgical treatments use endoscopes that can do different things. But all the procedures developed so far try to block stomach acid from backing up (or refluxing) into the esophagus.