Mehmet Ökten, 21 years old and from Şanlıurfa, had many problems for years due to his high-pitched voice. So much so that it was even thought that she was a woman while talking on the phone…
A 90 per cent success rate was achieved with this method applied for the first time for treating reflux, a nightmare for 25 per cent of the Turkish population
The non-surgical reflux treatment has been applied all around the world since 2010. The first name using this treatment method in Turkey is Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata, an Interior Diseases and Gastroenthology Specialist at the Yeditepe University’s Koşuyolu Hospital. Stating the fact that a patient can recover after this endoscopy surgery that takes 45 mins to 1 hour, Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata said: “This is a permanent treatment method and the success rate is 90 per cent. We will solve the reflux problem completely with this treatment”.
The non-surgical reflux treatment has been applied all around the world since 2010. The first name using this treatment method in Turkey is Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata, an Interior Diseases and Gastroenthology Specialist at the Yeditepe University’s Koşuyolu Hospital. Stating the fact that a patient can recover after this endoscopy surgery that takes 45 mins to 1 hour, Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata said: “This is a permanent treatment method and the success rate is 90 per cent. We will solve the reflux problem completely with this treatment”.
“WE WILL SOLVE THE REFLUX PROBLEM”
Stating that the patient receives general anesthesia but is discharged from the hospital on the same day, Prof. Cengiz Pata shared the following information about the treatment:
“We sedate the patient completely and surgeons roll the alimentary canal from the outside to make it narrow. We apply large-area narrowing techniques through using stitches on the alimentary canal, which can be described as a stapler, through endoscopy. Since there is no cut or surgery, the patient is discharged from the hospital on the same day. While the endoscopic laser methods we used in the pas achieved 50-60 per cent success rates, this method has a 80-90 per cent success rate. We have applied this method on two patients up to now and the results are extremely successful. We immediately discharged the patients. I believe that we will solve the reflux problem with this method.”
“WE CANNOT APPLY THIS METHOD FOR ALL REFLUX”
Underlying the fact that the treatment is permanent, Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata added: “It is a method which with we could gain more resistant and long-term successful results. I believe that we will prefer it more in the future. We do not tell every reflux patient “come and let us treat it”. Many symptoms may be similar to reflux, but it is important to decide on the final diagnosis. Therefore, it is necessary to do the right gastroscopy, a right PH-meter test and a manometri test if required. If there is a reflux diagnosis after all these tests, then it is time to apply the right treatment. First we need to choose the right patient and then we apply the best treatment”.
“A 45 MINUTES TREATMENT”
Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata, saying that the treatment is very easy for the patient, explained that: “We first of all sedate our patient through giving light medication as if s/he comes for endoscopy. We enter the throat with a little wider pipe during the process. It is a treatment lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour with general anesthesia. After the treatment, the patient will be observed for 4 to 6 hours. If everything is fine, the patient is discharged from the hospital. The patient may have only a sore throat during that day”.
WHAT ARE THE REASONS OF REFLUX?
Prof. Dr. Cengiz Pata told that esophageal reflux is like an epidemic disease and continued: “It can be seen in every fourth person of our society. It is a serious health problem and why do we see it more often? For sure, we need to do wide epidemiologic research to answer this question. However, obesity is a serious problem and we all gain weight. When we look at Europe, Turkey is the number one among these countries. Obesity is affecting reflux problems at first. We do not save time for activities or sports. Besides that, our eating habits have changed, and we consume dried food that can be described as fast food more than classical dishes. We all know that these foods increase reflux. The most important precaution is eating often but less in quantity. You even have to be careful when drinking water. It is important to eat light food during dinner. You should stop eating two hours before you go to sleep. It helps patients feel comfortable if they sleep with a little higher pillows”.
