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A relatively rare complication of GERD is referred to as Barrett's esophagus. A potentially pre-cancerous condition, Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the normal tissue lining the esophagus has been replaced by abnormal tissue, called "specialized intestinal metaplasia".
The risk of developing cancer is 40 times higher in patients with Barrett's esophasgus.
It is important to note that only a small percentage of people with frequent or severe heartburn or reflux will develop Barrett's esophagus and, for some reason, some people have heartburn and no esophageal damage, while other people have esophageal damage and no heartburn.
When a patient is known to have Barrett's esophagus, the doctor will usually recommend regular endoscopic screening with biopsies (every 2-3 years) to monitor any further changes in the esophagus. Be sure to follow your physician's recommendations for screening.
The diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus is an absolute indication for surgery. Progress of Barrett's esophagus can stop and even regress to normal, following Nissen Fundoplication.
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