UF Health Surgeon Michael Latzko provides patients the value and benefits of minimally-invasive surgery—that used to treat conditions affecting anything from the stomach and esophagus to the colon, bile ducts, bowel and pancreas.
An experienced laparoscopic surgeon, Dr. Michael Latzko knows how effective such minimally-invasive procedures can be when it comes to treating a number of diseases—particularly that of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
Once diagnosed, GERD is typically treated in a progression of steps. GERD treatment usually begins with:
· Lifestyle Change Recommendations. In many situations, the physician will recommend making changes to one’s diet, and/or taking over-the-counter antacids to deal with the problem Reducing smoking and alcohol consumption can also often help mitigate the issue.
· Drug Treatments. In some cases, drugs can be prescribed to mitigate or heal the irritation caused by GERD.
· Surgery. Those who don’t respond well the lifestyle changes or medications may be eligible for an anti-reflux procedure, the most common of which is fundoplication. This is typically done laparoscopically.
Dr. Michael Latzko is an expert in minimally-invasive anti-reflux surgery, and works with patients to determine if that option is the best for their unique situation.
