ASGS Issues Position Statement Supporting Transoral Fundoplication For Select GERD Patients

Main Category: Acid Reflux / GERD
Article Date: 27 Apr 2011 - 1:00 PDT

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EndoGastric Solutions (EGS), the leader in the emerging field of Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS), today announced that the American Society of General Surgeons (ASGS) recently issued a position statement in support of transoral fundoplication for the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD).

"The ASGS believes that there is a sufficient body of peer-reviewed literature that establishes transoral fundoplication as reasonable and medically necessary for a subset of patients who are candidates for surgical fundoplication," said Guy Nicastri, M.D., ASGS President. According to the ASGS statement, General Surgeons have a choice on how to achieve a surgical fundoplication -- open incisional, laparoscopic or transoral. "The ASGS believes that in patients who are candidates for fundoplication, the preferred surgical technique for creating the fundoplication should be left to the discretion of the General Surgeon and should be based on both the surgeon's independent medical judgment and the individual patient's clinical circumstances."

"We are very pleased that the ASGS has issued a favorable statement supporting the medical necessity of transoral fundoplication," said Thierry Thaure, President and Chief Executive Officer of EndoGastric Solutions. "Over the past two years, GERD specialists have added transoral fundoplication to their continuum of care. The growing body of evidence in clinical practice and peer-reviewed literature, along with the ASGS 2011 Position Statement, will help us communicate with payors that it is time to update their policies to include transoral fundoplication as an acceptable technique for creating a surgical fundoplication by trained General Surgeons."

The transoral fundoplication is a surgical procedure performed through the mouth for the treatment of GERD; it employs EndoGastric Solutions' EsophyX device. Transoral fundoplication fills the treatment gap that exists between pharmaceutical therapy and more invasive surgical fundoplications, addressing a population estimated at over 14 million. To date, clinical results have been approaching those achieved by more invasive surgical techniques.

The ASGS position statement is available here.

Source:
American Society of General Surgeons
EndoGastric Solutions, Inc.

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