Stretta System Effective for GERD in Obese Patients

A clinical study has found that the Stretta system is highly effective in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in obese patients as well as those who had previously undergone unsuccessful antireflux surgery.

The Stretta system consists of the Stretta catheter, which is a disposable, flexible catheter, and the control module. Using the system, a doctor delivers temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy to create thermal lesions in the muscle of the lower esophageal function, which improves GERD symptoms, reduces acid exposure, and reduces the need for antisecretory medication. The Stretta system was developed by Curon Medical, Inc. (Fremont, CA, USA).

"We intentionally included a group of difficult-to-treat GERD patients,” said principal investigator Dr. W. Scott Melvin, chief of the division of general surgery at Ohio State University Medical Center (Columbus, USA). "Among these were ten patients who had previously undergone antireflux surgery, but still had persistent or recurrent GERD symptoms, as well as 18 patients who were obese and therefore considered poor surgical candidates.”

All patients showed significant symptom improvement, even in the subgroup of obese patients and in the group who had failed previous antireflux surgery. A Scandinavian study in 2003 showed that people who were overweight or obese may be up to six times more likely to have GERD than people with normal body weight.



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Curon Medical
Ohio State University