How long
does the Stretta Procedure by Curon Medical take?
The Stretta Procedure is designed to take less than one
hour. Patients arrive 30 minutes to an hour before the procedure
and are typically able to go home with the help of a relative
or friend about an hour after the procedure is completed.
What kind of anesthesia is used
in the Stretta Procedure?
Patients receive conscious sedation during the procedure.
Under conscious sedation, the patient will feel very little
of the intervention. In most cases the patient is comfortable
and will remember little about the procedure upon awakening.
Is this Stretta Procedure considered
surgery?
The Stretta Procedure is a non-surgical procedure. The
procedure is performed through the mouth and the esophagus,
involves no cutting or sewing, and leaves no skin incisions
or scars.
What can I expect in terms of
my GERD symptom improvement after the Stretta Procedure?
Most patients experience reduction in heartburn and regurgitation
symptoms within one month of the procedure, and are able
to discontinue drug therapy with minimal residual symptoms.
Your individual results may vary.
Is the Stretta Procedure currently
available?
The Stretta™ System has been cleared by the FDA specifically
for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The company has begun selling the system in the U.S. in
May 2000 and will begin training physicians to perform the
procedure shortly thereafter.
Will I have to continue taking
GERD medication after the Stretta Procedure?
Most patients who have the Stretta Procedure have been
able to discontinue their reflux medications within a month
after the procedure, and symptoms continue to improve during
the 6 months following the procedure.
