Chronic Heartburn (GERD) can Lead to Esophageal Cancer

April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Watertown, WI – Watertown Regional Medical Center and General Surgeon Dr. Adam Dachman are committed to increasing awareness about the links between chronic heartburn and adenocarcinoma, the most common type of esophageal cancer in the United States.

Chronic heartburn or acid reflux, also known as GERD, results when the gastroesophageal valve (GEV) allows stomach contents to reflux (wash backwards) into the esophagus, causing injury to the esophageal lining. GERD is the most common gastrointestinal-related diagnosis made by physicians during clinical visits in the U.S. and is a primary risk factor associated with esophageal cancer.

“Impacting one in five adults, GERD can be complex to fully diagnose and treat,” said Dr. Dachman. “We are addressing this disease in Watertown and the surrounding communities by using the most advanced testing and treatment options available to comprehensively manage our patients.”

Testing for GERD may include pH monitoring and endoscopies. Treatment options include medication management, lifestyle adjustments, surgical intervention, robotic fundoplication, and the TIF (transoral-incisionless-fundoplication) procedure.

“GERD is an anatomical problem which needs an anatomical solution,” said Dr. Dachman. “Reflux medication like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are great at helping to relieve patients' heartburn symptoms but don't solve the underlying anatomical problems or prevent further disease progression.”

Surgical intervention and the TIF procedure are solutions for correcting the anatomical problem. The TIF procedure is minimally invasive and aims to fix the root cause of GERD to prevent further esophageal damage. Dr. Dachman is the only TIF trained physician in the area offering this procedure.

“The TIF procedure allows me to repair the faulty valve and prevents stomach contents from refluxing back into the esophagus. This can significantly improve quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. Dachman. “After the TIF procedure, clinical studies show that most patients are no longer dependent on medications and can eat and drink foods they avoided for many years. Reflux no longer impacts their lives like it previously did.”

If you frequently suffer from symptoms of GERD, including a burning sensation in your chest and difficulty swallowing, talk to your primary care provider about a referral. To learn more about testing and treatment options available at Watertown Regional Medical Center, call the General Surgery Clinic at 920.206.3042 for more information.

For more information about Esophageal Cancer and its links to GERD, visit resource sites like www.ecan.org, www.americancancersociety.org and www.ecaware.org.

About Watertown Regional Medical Center
Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) has been providing the residents of Dodge and Jefferson counties with excellent healthcare for over 115 years. By placing patients’ needs first, WRMC’s services have grown to include Emergency Care, Primary Care, Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Heart and Vascular, General Surgery, Neurology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology, and many other services. For more information and to see a complete list of the services offered, visit www.watertownregional.com.