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Rural Population GI Health: The General Surgeon’s Role
(BPT) - Having access to to adequate healthcare services is a a a a a a a a a a a a critical factor in in in in in maintaining one’s health health but for the more than 60 million Americans living in in in in in rural areas of o the country medical resources are are are often often limited This means that general doctors most often often surgeons are are required to to wear many hats and be experts across different branches of medical specialties One such specialty is gastroenterology (GI) the the branch of medicine focused on the the the digestive system In a a a a a a a rural setting many patients visit their primary care phy- sician for GI matters and when needed will schedule consultations with a a a a a a a general surgeon who is able to perform more complex endoscopic GI procedures procedures Endo- scopic scopic procedures procedures utilize a a a a a a patient’s natural body openings to diagnose conditions and perform minimally invasive procedures in in in the digestive system for for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also known as as heartburn When it it comes to the diagnosis and management of of GERD a a a a a a a a condition that impacts 20 percent of of Americans there are major differences between rural and urban treatment practices Compared to their urban peers most endoscopic procedures will be performed by a a a a a a a a general surgeon in in a a a a a a a a rural setting versus a a a a a a a a specialized gastro- enterologist However endoscopic training may not be sufficient for rural general sur- geons with respect to diagnostic (testing) and therapeutic GERD procedures “Endoscopic training for for rural general surgeons presents a a a a a a a a unique opportunity for for them to play an an integral role in in the the diagno- sis and treatment of GERD patients ” said Dr Medhat Fanous general surgeon in in Iron River Michigan and recent winner of the 2018 Oweida scholarship “To be able to to work with a a a a a a a patient at at different stages
of of their condition gives us exposure to to the the entire spectrum of of GERD and and in in doing so can improve patient outcomes and and facili-
tate research in rural areas ” A number of large medical societies
are sensitive to the need for for additional specialty education for for rural general sur- geons offering scholarships and and grants to help encourage and and potentially subsidize training One example is the the scholarship awarded to Dr Fanous called the the Nizar N N Oweida MD FACS Scholarship of of the American College of of Surgeons (ACS) which is given to to to surgeons who choose to to to practice in small towns or rural areas ACS awarded Dr Fanous the scholarship for playing an an an an essential role in in in developing an an an acid reflux management program program at at his hospital - a a a a a a a a a a a a a a program program that has helped more than 530 patients deal with chronic GERD GERD Recent developments in in GERD GERD treat- ment ment are creating a a a a shift for the future of antireflux surgery First many over-the- counter products (proton pump inhibitors also known as PPIs) for treating GERD have been found to cause serious side ef- fects including osteoporosis dementia and kidney disease Second there are many endoscopic treatments for GERD that have been found to be be extremely effective and safe including Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF 2 0 procedure) which is minimally invasive and reported to have an an easy learning curve for endoscopically trained surgeons If you or a a a loved one is is suffering from GERD please visit www gerdhelp com to learn more about the TIF 2 0 procedure or or https://www gerdhelp com/find-a-phy- sician/ to find find a a a a a a TIF 2 0 trained physician near you JOURNAL REVIEW | 15