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Barrett's Esophagus

What is Barrett's Esophagus (BE)?



Virginia Litle, MD, Director, Barrett's Esophageal Program


What are the Symptoms?


Barrett's esophagus patients may have symptoms of:

  • Heartburn and regurgitation
  • Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite

What are the Causes?


How is Barrett's Esophagus Diagnosed?

Diagnosis is often difficult, because symptoms may be limited. The main diagnostic tool is upper endoscopy:



How is Barrett's Esophagus Treated?

Barrett's esophagus may be treated in a number of ways. These include:

  • Surveillance. Your physician may opt for watchful waiting to see if and how your cells change.
  • Mucosal Ablation

    For this procedure, a physician uses a special probe to apply heat energy to diseased cells to destroy them and encourage healthy cells to replace them.

  • Radiofrequency Ablation with Barx ablation

    Heat energy is applied to any areas of intestinal metaplasia to destroy the cells and allow replacement with normal appearing esophagus cells.

  • Cryoablation

    Cryoablation, sometimes called cryotherapy, is a minimally invasive treatment used to destroy diseased cells in the esophagus caused by esophageal cancer and/or Barrett's esophagus. For cryoablation, a physician inserts a small tube (endoscope) through your mouth and into your esophagus. Once the endoscope is in place, liquid nitrogen is sprayed through the endoscope into the esophagus. The liquid nitrogen freezes the lining of your esophagus. The frozen cells die and are replaced by healthy cells. Cryoablation is used to treat Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia, and some early stage esophageal cancers. It can also be used to improve symptoms of advanced cancers. These symptoms include difficulty swallowing and bleeding.

  • Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

    Endoscopic mucosal resection, or EMR, is one of the newer, more minimally invasive techniques we offer for our esophageal cancer patients who have small tumors that have not spread outside of the esophagus. It may also be beneficial for patients with Barrett's esophagus. In this simple procedure, we are able to locate, remove, and examine cancerous or precancerous lesions of the esophagus. The mucosa is the innermost lining of the esophagus, and it extends down into your gastrointestinal tract. Cancers in this tract often originate in the mucosa, thus making visualization and access to it essential for diagnosis and treatment.

The following lifestyle changes may be helpful in controlling reflux:

  • Eating smaller, more frequent meals
  • Controlling your weight and avoiding obesity
  • Raising the head of your bed 30 degrees
  • Avoiding lying down 3-4 hours after eating
  • Quitting smoking