Suffer from heartburn? Doctors at Inova Alexandria Hospital use latest technologies to stop Gastroesophageal Reflux before it gets worse

Gut Check: Heartburn can become more than just an annoyance

Gastroesophageal reflux, also known as heartburn, is a common problem for people in the Northern Virginia area, as well as across the country. For about 20 percent of the U.S. population, heartburn goes beyond occasional discomfort and becomes more serious and chronic, turning into a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

While GERD is a manageable condition, it can also lead to other gastrointestinal problems. “A lot of patients have heartburn and reflux symptoms,” says Arunan Vamadevan, MD, a gastroenterologist (GI physician) at Inova Alexandria Hospital (IAH). “With constant reflux, they can develop something called Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition in which the lining of the esophagus changes to be more like stomach and intestinal lining. This increases the patient’s risk for esophageal cancer and occurs in about 10 percent of patients with GERD.”

Physicians at IAH use the latest technologies to diagnose and treat issues like Barrett’s esophagus before they increase in severity. To diagnose Barrett’s esophagus, Dr. Vamadevan uses highly sensitive endoscopic cameras and ultrasound. He treats precancerous cells with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which blasts the esophagus with heat and destroys the worrisome tissue, allowing new normal esophageal lining to grow. When used appropriately, RFA prevents the development of cancer.

If you are experiencing recurring heartburn symptoms, Dr. Vamadevan recommends seeing your primary care provider.

“If symptoms don’t improve with simple dietary and lifestyle changes, or they exist for an extended period of time, patients should consider seeking out a GI specialist,” says Dr. Vamadevan.

GERD solutions for Northern Virginia

Inova Alexandria Hospital (IAH) fosters close working relationships among doctors. This multidisciplinary approach allows doctors to take advantage of each other’s knowledge and skills, which ultimately provides better service for patients.

For example, Arunan Vamadevan, MD, gastroenterologist (GI physician) at IAH, cites this collaborative environment as a key factor in a recent successful procedure he performed, which involved removing an ingested foreign object which had penetrated the patient’s colon. Typically, such circumstances call for open surgery and removal of the object with a prolonged hospital stay. However, the surgeon consulted Dr. Vamadevan to see if a less invasive option was available.
After a discussion with the patient, Dr. Vamadevan was able to remove the foreign object and treat the colon injury without the need for open surgery. The patient was discharged the very next day.

“We have a very collegial atmosphere at IAH where we can discuss our concerns, and everyone’s there to support each other,” says Dr. Vamadevan. “This helps us provide the best care to patients.”

Stomach Solutions

Learn more about Inova’s endoscopy services at inova.org/endoscopy.

Online information about Reflux / GERD / Heartburn

Read about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Heartburn >

Read about GERD in children >

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FREE Ask the Expert lectures

“Heartburn and Abdominal Pain” is one of Inova’s many FREE Ask the Expert lecture topics. To see the current list of scheduled lectures on a wide range of health & medical topics, visit www.inova.org/AskTheExpert or call 1.855.My.Inova (1.855.694.6682).

Next lecture on “Heartburn and Abdominal Pain”

Date & Time: Wednesday, April 6, 6 p.m.

Join Arunan Vamadevan, MD, for this FREE lecture. Location: Inova Alexandria Hospital, Auditorium