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| Allegan General Hospital Is Now A National Surgical Training Center |
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Allegan General Hospital has been selected as one of only seven regional training centers in the United States for EsophyX, an incision less surgery used to treat gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).
"It's quite an honor," said AGH CEO Gerald Barbini. "We are very excited to be a part of this state of the art technology and to be a training site for additional physicians."
Surgeons from throughout the country will be coming to Allegan for training in the procedure known as Transoral Incision-less Fundoplication (TIF), which is being used as a new option for treating GERD.
"Allegan General Hospital is one of a handful of facilities across the United States being recognized as a training center for this procedure,“ said Scott Moore, EndoGastric Solutions’ Program Development Manager. “Allegan is the only critical access hospital to be a training center. Allegan is really on the map with this."
Allegan General has been offering the EsophyX procedure for almost a year now. Dr. David Dargis was the first surgeon in West Michigan to perform this incision less surgery. | 
Dr. Wayne VanderKolk, Dr. Fahs Shadi and Daniel
Teske, PA-C observes Dr. David Dargis and his
surgical team in the operating room during an
EsophyX procedure. |
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"This is a very safe and effective procedure, which can significantly improve the quality of life for individuals suffering from chronic GERD," said Surgeon Dr. David Dargis. “I’m very excited to be part of training other surgeons on this new technique."
Using an EsophyX device, the objective of the procedure is to create a valve between the stomach and the esophagus, restoring the anatomy to reduce reflux. A surgeon, using an endoscope, can access the interior of the body through the mouth - which eliminates the need to make incisions in the body wall.
"(The TIF procedure) is a real milestone for surgery," said Dr. Dargis. "Other treatment options for GERD are less than satisfactory. What we are learning is that we can do a less invasive operation that it is actually safer and has fewer side effects."
The first training session at Allegan General was held last week on Friday, January 15. Sessions are expected to be conducted once a month.
"It's a real tribute to the quality of care we give here in Allegan," Dr. Dargis said. "The accomplishment is more than just one facility, one surgery or one person. It's really a team effort. We're on the cutting edge of giving high-quality care."
Allegan General Hospital is a community hospital that focuses on providing exceptional, compassionate and personalized healthcare to the community it serves. Allegan General provides a wide range of healthcare services, including bariatric, surgery, sleep center, emergency, physical rehabilitation and mental health. For more information on the hospital or the EsophyX procedure, visit www.aghosp.org.
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