Dear reader,
I would like to take up the pressing questions my patients have on the subject of "Barrett's and cancer" again. I have already explained that the originally suspected high risk of degeneration with Barrett's syndrome has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, there is a connection between Barrett's and the development of cancer. It is always important to consider the patient's overall situation. Small Barrett's islands discovered in the esophagus are much less harmful than a so-called long Barrett's , which extends several centimeters into the esophagus. In this case, it is impossible to take samples from everywhere and monitor the Barrett's continuously. Protective medication is important. In previous generations, there were few effective remedies for chemical burns in the esophagus. Damage that could even lead to cancer was much more common.
Once Barrett's has developed, it usually cannot be reversed even with high doses of acid blockers. The concentration of hydrochloric acid is reduced, but other digestive enzymes, bile acids, bacteria and stomach contents continue to flush up into the esophagus. This is because the closure system for the esophagus is still defective. On the other hand, this means that Barrett's often develops in the esophagus despite regular PPI medication. Please also read the blog "Bile Reflux" for more information.
But: The acid blockers offer quite good protection and can at least prevent the progression of Barrett's changes to higher stages! Therefore, careful protection of the esophagus, regular intake of acid blockers, consideration of dietary habits and also stopping smoking are recommended for these patients more than for others! Because smoking is actually also a risk factor for Barrett's.
An urgent question for us was how the surgical restoration of the closure system will affect Barrett's? Because then the reflux and the strain on the esophagus for all substances will be completely stopped! Please read this patient letter:
" I am 67 years old and four years after my operation by Dr. Löhde, I would like to speak again because I think that many people are interested in what the long-term prognosis looks like. I must first mention that I suffered "like a dog" for almost 50 years(!) and that in our family my father, my uncle, my grandfather and my great-grandfather all died of stomach and esophageal cancer in their early 70s. My esophagus also showed signs of Barrett's syndrome. After months of research and offers of surgery that I almost considered criminal, I found Dr. Löhde. His surgical method made sense to me and that is why I decided to have this operation performed by Dr. Löhde.
In the first year after the operation, I had doubts a few times as to whether the operation had really been a success, as I had experienced a few relapses, but these became less frequent and my health continued to improve over time. Now, after 4 years, I can eat and drink ANYTHING. I can even afford to stop off at a fast food restaurant (4 years ago, I would have preferred to die after eating something like that).
So today I can say that I am 100% cured. My Barrett's has now completely healed. After 50 years of suffering, Dr. Löhde has also given me 100% of my quality of life back. I would even be so bold as to say that it is more than 100%, as I was already well on my way to following the male family history - today I am convinced that Dr. Löhde has extended my life by many years, for which I am infinitely grateful."
We are happy with our patient that after initial difficulties everything has developed so well. But I have chosen this letter for you for another reason: After the l.oe.hde operation, control endoscopies and repeated biopsies have actually shown the regression of the Barrett's changes and even complete healing! The esophagus can obviously become completely healthy again when the closure system is functioning properly again! We have been able to make this finding in a large number of Barrett's patients who have undergone surgery - but unfortunately not in all of them. The healing seems to depend on the extent of the Barrett's, i.e. whether it is a case of small, newly developed Barrett's islands or an extensive long Barrett's that has eaten into the tissue for years. In any case, however, we see an improvement in the findings.
Therefore, for us, Barrett patients particularly benefit from surgical reconstruction of the esophageal closure system.
Yours
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