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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital opens Barrett’s esophagus treatment facility
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital recently opened Jefferson Barrett’s Esophagus Treatment Center in Philadelphia, according to a news release.
Anthony Infantolino, MD, serves as director of the facility, which is one of a small number of centers in the United States dedicated to the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus. The release also names gastroenterologists Daniel Quirk, MD, MPH, and David Kastenberg, MD, as members of the center’s multidisciplinary team.
“We evaluate, diagnose and treat anywhere from 20 to 30 patients a week with Barrett’s esophagus disease,” Infantolino said in the release. “We established the center because there is a true need in the area for a comprehensive center to diagnose, treat and educate people on the disease.” He added that there are plans for Jefferson to serve as a regional training facility where doctors can learn advanced techniques for treating the illness, including radiofrequency ablation, which sends an electrical charge into the esophagus to remove outer esophageal tissue.
“We can now remove … precancerous cells through an outpatient procedure and keep people from requiring life-altering surgery in the majority of cases,” Infantolino said. “However, should there be more advanced disease, our highly skilled esophageal surgeons are a part of our team and can evaluate and treat patients with the surgical care they need.”