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Barrett’s Esophagus: Radiofrequency (RF) and Other Ablation Modalities

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Abstract

Over the last decade, there has been a revolution in the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) with dysplasia. Up until the mid-2000s most patients who developed BE with high-grade dysplasia underwent esophagectomy because of a high risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma. By 2009, surgery had been replaced by endoscopic therapies. Why the change? Up to that point in time, ablative therapies for BE were cumbersome with variable results or significant complications. In 2009, endoscopic radiofrequency mucosal ablation for Barrett’s with high-grade dysplasia was proven effective, introducing the world to a well-tolerated, reproducible, and safe technology that ushered in the modern era of endoscopic treatment of dysplastic BE. This chapter briefly reviews the pathophysiology of BE and its association with esophageal adenocarcinoma, describes how to evaluate it endoscopically, and details modern techniques of esophageal mucosal ablation and their results.

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Correspondence to Brian J. Dunkin M.D., F.A.C.S. .

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Dunkin, B.J. (2016). Barrett’s Esophagus: Radiofrequency (RF) and Other Ablation Modalities. In: Kroh, M., Reavis, K. (eds) The SAGES Manual Operating Through the Endoscope. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24145-6_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24145-6_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24143-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24145-6

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