eMedicine Specialties > Radiology > Gastrointestinal

Gastroesophageal Reflux: Follow-up

Author: Michael AJ Sawyer, MD, Director, Videoendoscopic Surgical Institute of Oklahoma, Consulting Staff, Department of Surgery, Comanche County Memorial Hospital; Consulting Staff, Great Plains Surgical Clinic, Lawton, Oklahoma
Coauthor(s): Manish K Varma, MD, Chief of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Tripler Army Medical Center; Thomas F Murphy, MD, Chief of Abdominal Imaging Section, Department of Radiology, Tripler Army Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 6, 2008

Intervention

Therapeutic radiologic interventions are not described for GERD. Treatment is either medical with antacids or proton pump inhibitors or surgical with corrective antireflux surgery.

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to diagnose and adequately treat GERD. Delayed or missed diagnoses can lead to severe complications, such as aspiration pneumonia, esophageal stricture, Barrett esophagus, or esophageal carcinoma.
  • Since radiologic tests do not offer definitive diagnosis, the patient must be treated by a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, or both.

See also the Medscape topic Medical Malpractice and Legal Issues.


 


More on Gastroesophageal Reflux

Overview: Gastroesophageal Reflux
Imaging: Gastroesophageal Reflux
Follow-up: Gastroesophageal Reflux
Multimedia: Gastroesophageal Reflux
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

hiatal hernia, heartburn, reflux regurgitation, GERD, gastric reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease, acid reflux, bile reflux, esophageal clearance, pyrosis, esophagitis, esophageal strictures, Barrett esophagus, dysphagia

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Michael AJ Sawyer, MD, Director, Videoendoscopic Surgical Institute of Oklahoma, Consulting Staff, Department of Surgery, Comanche County Memorial Hospital; Consulting Staff, Great Plains Surgical Clinic, Lawton, Oklahoma
Michael AJ Sawyer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Manish K Varma, MD, Chief of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Tripler Army Medical Center
Manish K Varma, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Thomas F Murphy, MD, Chief of Abdominal Imaging Section, Department of Radiology, Tripler Army Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Bernard D Coombs, MB, ChB, PhD, Consulting Staff, Department of Specialist Rehabilitation Services, Hutt Valley District Health Board, New Zealand
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Abraham H Dachman, MD, FACR, Professor, Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago School of Medicine; Director of CT, Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago Hospitals
Abraham H Dachman, MD, FACR is a member of the following medical societies: Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: EZ-EM, Inc. Consulting fee Consulting; iCAD, Inc. Consulting fee Consulting; Philips Medical Grant/research funds Other; iCAD, Inc. Grant/research funds Other; GE Healtcare, Inc. Honoraria Speaking and teaching

CME Editor

Robert M Krasny, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Radiology, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute
Robert M Krasny, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Eugene C Lin, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Radiology, Virginia Mason Medical Center
Eugene C Lin, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, and Society of Nuclear Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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