JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Mayo Clinic in Florida will be one of the first healthcare institutions in the United States to offer a newly approved device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The condition, also known as acid reflux disease, can lead to serious health problems.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the device and treatment procedure on March 22 for patients with GERD who continue to have chronic reflux symptoms despite taking medication.
Mayo Clinic in Florida expects to offer the new treatment immediately, said C. Daniel Smith, MD, chair of the Surgery Department at Mayo Clinic in Florida, and an internationally recognized expert on the treatment of GERD.
Dr. Smith is experienced in using the system because Mayo Clinic in Florida was one of 14 centers nationally that participated in a clinical trial that led to the FDA’s approval of the device.
“Mayo has been a leader in the treatment of esophageal diseases, especially GERD, and we are pleased to be offering this new treatment to our patients immediately," he said.
GERD is a condition in which liquid, or food, in the stomach flows back up into the esophagus due to the inability of a ring of muscle between the lower esophagus and the top of the stomach to close properly.
