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Barrett’s esophagus is a rare condition that radically transforms your digestive tract. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, we help patients understand rare conditions like this, identifying causes and treatments that can improve their health.
Barrett’s esophagus is when tissue similar to intestinal lining replaces the tissue of the esophagus. Doctors call this process intestinal metaplasia.
While experts don’t know the exact cause of Barrett’s esophagus, some things make it more likely to develop the condition.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) increases your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus. GERD is a more serious, chronic form of recurrent heartburn, caused when stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus and damage the cells in your esophagus.
Between 5-10% of people with GERD develop Barrett’s esophagus.
Obesity – specifically high levels of belly fat – and smoking increase your chance of developing Barrett’s esophagus. Some studies suggest that your genetics may play a role in developing Barrett’s esophagus, too.
While Barrett’s esophagus itself doesn’t cause symptoms, many people with Barrett’s esophagus have GERD, which does cause symptoms.
Doctors diagnose Barrett’s esophagus with an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and a biopsy. The condition may also be found during testing to find the cause of GERD symptoms.
Your doctor will ask you to provide your medical history. Your doctor may also recommend testing if you have multiple factors that increase your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus.
White men develop this condition more often than men of other races, and twice as often as women. The average age at diagnosis is 55. Barrett’s esophagus is uncommon in children.
For those who develop Barrett’s esophagus, there are a few treatment options at Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic.
A doctor may periodically use an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with a biopsy to watch for signs of cancer. Doctors call this approach surveillance.
Acid-suppressing medicines called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, can prevent further damage to your esophagus and, in some cases, heal existing damage.
Endoscopic ablative therapies use different techniques to destroy the dysplasia in the esophagus. Radiologists perform these procedures at certain hospitals and outpatient centers using local anesthesia and a sedative. The most common procedures are photodynamic therapy and radiofrequency ablation.
During endoscopic mucosal resection, a doctor lifts the Barrett’s tissue, injects a solution underneath, or applies suction and then cuts the tissue off. The doctor then removes the tissue with an endoscope. Gastroenterologists perform this procedure at certain hospitals and outpatient centers using a sedative, plus local anesthesia to numb your throat.
Esophagectomy is the surgical removal of the affected sections of your esophagus. After removing sections of the esophagus, a surgeon rebuilds the esophagus from part of the stomach or large intestine. The surgery is performed at a hospital using general anesthesia. Recovery may require up to two weeks in the hospital.
If you have GERD, you can prevent or relieve your symptoms by changing your diet. Symptoms may be treated by decreasing fatty foods, eating small frequent meals instead of three large ones and avoiding the following:
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