GERD - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
What is GERD?
GERD results when the stomach contents
regurgitate up into the esophagus.
The most common
symptoms of GERD are
heartburn, belching,
nausea, and a sour taste
in your mouth. In some
instances, GERD may
even cause hoarseness,
cough, and asthma.
Although not dangerous
in most cases, GERD
can cause many
annoying symptoms,
and can lead to
complications if
not treated.
At New York Gastroenterology Associates
(NYGA), we offer special services and expertise
in the diagnosis and management of GERD.
Testing for Esophageal Disorders
at NYGA
If you have heartburn or other GERD
symptoms, you may already have taken routine
X-ray or endoscopy testing of your stomach
and esophagus.
At NYGA, we use more sophisticated tests for
GERD that are not available in most practices.
Our office is among the best-equipped in the
New York City area.We have twenty years of
experience performing these specialized tests
for GERD.These tests tell us with complete
confidence whether your troubling symptoms
are due to GERD and if so how to keep you
healthy, and free of reflux symptoms.
Enhanced Gastroscopy
Gastroscopy uses a flexible tube passed painlessly
through your mouth while you are sedated to
look directly at your esophagus and stomach.
At NYGA, we offer enhanced gastroscopy to
detect subtle changes in the esophagus that may
be missed by the conventional method, allowing
us to provide the best, most accurate care for
which NYGA is widely recognized.
A safe and effective dye-spraying technique
allows us to target our biopsies to problem
areas of the
esophageal
lining.This
technology helps
us identify and
remove precancerous
cells
before they
become a serious
threat to your
health.
NYGA has
used its strong
relationships
with the best
instrument manufacturers to give you unique
access to resources during your endoscopy.
In collaboration with the leading instrument
manufacturer (the Olympus Co.), we are the
first private practice in New York City to offer
the digital “Image Manager.”This computer assisted
equipment permits unlimited electronic
long-term storage and retrieval of photographic
images of your esophagus. We can therefore
compare the results of your current and previous
pictures to help detect subtle changes.
In collaboration with CDX Technologies, Inc.,
we are the first private practice in New York
to utilize a computer-enhanced technology to
sort through the millions of cells in the tiny
biopsies of tissue which we painlessly and
safely obtain from your esophagus during
endoscopy.These two collaborations help us to
detect any problems at an early stage and keep
you healthy.
Esophageal Acid (pH) Testing
This test uses a tiny sensor positioned in the
lower end of the esophagus to measure directly
the amount of acid that regurgitates into your
esophagus, and to relate regurgitation and your
symptoms.This information can prove onceand-
for-all the cause of your symptoms.
Other physicians outside of NYGA may
do pH testing using the conventional method,
which requires you to wear for 24 hours a thin
catheter through your nostril down into your
esophagus. Consistent with our goal of maximizing
your comfort, we at NYGA are among
the first practices in the New York area to use
the improved “Bravo” system, which enables us
to perform pH studies without the need for a
catheter.This improved technique is comfortable,
unobtrusive, and in fact more accurate
than the conventional test.
Esophageal Manometry
This test is the only available way to study
directly the contractions in your esophagus
and to see whether you have a problem with
how the esophagus propels food down into
the stomach. Such a problem may be the cause
of your symptoms, and we can tailor your
treatment to correct it.
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