I had an upper endo last Thursday, my gastro detected a small salmon discoloration and believes I may have Barrett’s. He took a biopsy to confirm but I haven’t received the results. Presuming it’s Barrett’s, do most Barrett’s patient have at least some Dysplasia initially? If so what is the general treatement?
From why I have read on this site I have discerned:
1. Barretts is manageable with the apppriopriate surveillance.
2. It usually doesn’t turn to cancer but in the event it does it will be detected in its early stage and is treatable.
My grandfather died at 71 from EC, he had terrible heartburn his entire life and never addressed it.
I am 37, just got engaged and my fiancée and I have been discussing starting a family and I just want to make sure with reasonable certainty I will be here.
Thank you.
Not all patients with Barrett's have dysplasia. If you have Barrett's or Barrett's with low grade dysplasia, you will be monitored on a regular basis. If you have Barrett's with high grade dysplasia, you will undergo more aggressive treatment. I had high grade and have had a mucosal resection, Nissen fundoplication and hiatal hernia surgery and a cryoablation to remove the Barrett's. I may need one or more additional cryoablations.
You were lucky to have this diagnosed. I had silent reflux and came close to having cancer without even knowing there was a problem. Make sure you have the most competent doctors you can find and follow their advice.
Thank you for your response, it’s going to be a nervous few weeks waiting for my biopsy results. I guess I am lucky to have been diagnosed sooner as opposed to later. How long from your intitial diagnosis did your treatment begin?
Hi! I had a endoscopy a year and a half ago and also had a small patch of salmon discoloration that was biopsied for Barretts. My biopsies came back negative and the Doctor said that I just a irregular Z line. I had a follow-up endoscopy done 6 months ago and it also came back negative for Barretts. I don't know how often this happens but there is hope that you night not even have Barretts.
They discovered my blood count was very low and I received two blood transfusion and an iron infusion before they could do anything else. I had the mucosal resection within a month after the biopsy. They wanted to remove the dysplasia as soon as possible. This all started last April and they been continuously treating me since then. Because the esophagus swells after each treatment, they need to allow two or three months between procedures.
Hang in there. The wait for the biopsy results is very nerve-racking.
hi Jeffrey, my husband is now 32 & he was diagnosed as a case of barrett's oesophagus just 2 years ago.. we r grateful to almighty that he has no dysplacia, he was advised to have an endoscopy at least once in a year & have PPI for life time. as far i know that the conservative treatment of barrett's is having PPI & follow up. All barrett's oesophagus doesn't turn to cancer,knowing this i can't stop my mind thinking about it. Hope you will have a good biopsy report.
I was diagnosed with Barrett's through endoscopy but they found no dysplasia with my biopsies. I was also told PPI for life and to follow the no caffeine, alcohol, or food before bedtime. I was also told there is nothing I shouldn't be able to have. There are a lot of things people with acid reflux shouldn't eat tho. I also have a hiatal hernia, mild IBS, and frequent diverticulitis. I have to watch what I eat from a few different angles. I have lost 50 pounds but lately I feel like I'm eating more and I'm going to gain it back. I can't let that happen. My GP says that a big belly causes more acid reflux and worsens the Barrett's.