Innovations in endoscopy have brought about some impressive improvements in diagnosing and treating
gastroesophageal reflux disease (
GERD).
GERD, as one of the most prevalent
gastrointestinal disorders in the world, has always been on the cutting edge of endoscopic interventions. A primary diagnosis of
GERD is based on symptoms and an initial trial of
proton-pump inhibitor (PPI)
therapy, which is devoid of adequately instructive value for therapeutic strategies. Endoscopy and optional biopsies can be used to directly observe and determine the abnormal structural and pathophysiological damage in the esophagus. The emergence of minimally invasive endoscopic
therapy fills the gap between patients who are reluctant or insensitive to PPIs and candidates who are not indicated for surgical anti-reflux
fundoplication. In this review, we discuss the utility of endoscopy and biopsy in patients with persistent
GERD-related manifestations after proper medical anti-reflux treatment. Moreover, we portray a landscape of four current endoscopic
GERD therapies and clarify the merits and disadvantages of each technique. Future research needs to concentrate on stratifying
GERD patients based on personal conditions and elucidating the primary pathophysiology of
GERD.