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The perceived need for an alternative to antireflux surgery or chronic long-term use of proton-pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has led to the development of several endoluminal therapies. Although nearly 15,000 patients worldwide have been treated with endoluminal therapy, questions about its safety and long-term efficacy have precluded wider use. The endoluminal suturing device that has been used most extensively is EndoCinch (Bard Endoscopic Technologies), which received FDA approval for clinical use in 2000. In a single-center prospective German study, 70 GERD patients were followed for 18 months after undergoing EndoCinch procedures.
No major short- or long-term complications were reported. Although success for…