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Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia

patient talks to nurse in blue scrubs

Experienced Care for Watermelon Stomach – Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE)

Thompson Cancer Survival Center’s Center of Excellence for Barrett’s Esophagus has a comprehensive team of experts to help treat conditions such as GAVE.

What is GAVE?

GAVE (Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia), also known as “Watermelon Stomach”, is a condition in which the blood vessels in the lining of the stomach become fragile and prone to rupture or bleeding. The stomach lining often has visible stripes, similar to a watermelon, when viewed by endoscopy. Symptoms of watermelon stomach may include:

  • chronic anemia
  • acute gastrointestinal bleeding
  • vomiting of blood
  • dark, tarry stools

The exact cause of watermelon stomach is not known. Watermelon stomach is often associated with a number of conditions, including:

  • portal hypertension
  • chronic renal failure
  • collagen vascular diseases
  • systemic sclerosis.

The chronic blood loss in watermelon stomach patients causes iron-deficiency anemia, requiring iron supplements and blood transfusions.

Your Treatment Options

Iron supplements and blood transfusions are commonly used to control watermelon stomach symptoms. Lasers and argon plasma coagulation may also be used to prevent bleeding in lining of the stomach.

Our team uses the HALO 90 ablation technique. The HALO 90 catheter allows our team to quickly treat large areas of affected tissue with extreme accuracy. Each application of the HALO 90 catheter provides a uniform treatment to a rectangular area of 20 mm X 13 mm, much larger than alternative treatment methods can achieve. In many cases, we are able to treat the entire stomach in one session. HALO 90 is often an effective treatment method for patients who have not had success with alternate treatment methods.

Contact Us

For more information on our services, call 865-331-1433.

Directions

1915 White Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916

The Center of Excellence for Barrett’s Esophagus is a proud member of Covenant Health, our region’s top-performing healthcare network. To learn more about Watermelon Stomach, treatment, and resources near you, visit Thompson Cancer Survival Center today.

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