Yale-New Haven Hospital news release
Release date: June 29, 2009
Media contact: (203) 688-2488
NEW HAVEN — A 30-minute non-surgical treatment for Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is now available at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Called HALO ablation therapy, the endoscopic procedure destroys pre-cancerous and unwanted tissue by using heat energy, known as radiofrequency ablation, to burn away the diseased cells in the esophageal lining.
An estimated 3.3 million American adults have Barrett's esophagus. Although the risk is low, if left untreated, Barrett's esophagus can lead to a dangerous type of cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is currently the most rapidly rising cancer in the United States.
"Until now, there have been very few treatment options for this condition," said Anish A. Sheth, MD, medical director of the gastrointestinal motility program at Yale-New Haven Hospital. "HALO ablation is a very specific type of ablation, in which heat energy is delivered in a precise and highly-controlled manner. Barrett's esophagus tissue is very thin and is well-suited to being removed with ablative energy."
The ablation procedure is performed without incisions using conscious sedation in an outpatient setting. For more information about HALO ablation therapy, call 203.785.4138.
Yale-New Haven Hospital is a 944-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine. Yale-New Haven was founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826 and today, the hospital complex includes Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, with a combined medical staff of about 3,400 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. Visit www.ynhh.org for additional information.
