Stretta Therapy, a non-ablative radiofrequency treatment for GERD, was called “effective, safe and durable following 15 years of worldwide use” and cited as a “viable complement or alternative to medical and surgical treatment” in a newly-published clinical review of endoscopic techniques for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Authors Wai-Kit Lo, MD, MPH and Hiroshi Mashimo, MD, PhD of Harvard Medical School, examined multiple alternatives to PPI therapy or surgery, including Stretta and other devices such as endoscopic plication and suturing, as well as injectable and implantable bulking agents. Stretta data includes a meta-analysis of 1,441 patients across 18 studies, and four randomized-controlled trials. The findings have been published online (in advance of print) in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.
“A wealth of research has demonstrated the safety, efficacy, durability, and repeatability of Stretta treatment,” the authors say. “Most important, it does not preclude alternative treatments including medical, surgical, or repeat radiofrequency treatments, and may also provide potential treatment for patients who have failed fundoplication. Stretta is likely the least expensive alternative to medical therapy. This technique should be considered a viable complement or alternative to medical and surgical treatment of GERD symptoms.”
Though PPI therapy is the accepted standard of care for GERD, the authors explain that it doesn’t address the main anatomic and neuromuscular defects underlying GERD. This, together with adverse effects associated with long-term PPI use and a decline in the volume of surgical fundoplication, emphasize the need for alternative approaches to complement medical and surgical treatments.
