A specialized digestive procedure that previously required many Rio Grande Valley patients to travel to Houston, San Antonio or Dallas has been performed locally for the first time by UT Health RGV.

The minimally invasive treatment is designed for patients with conditions that make swallowing difficult or prevent food from moving normally through the digestive system. It is performed entirely through the mouth, eliminating the need for incisions in the chest or abdomen.
The procedure is called Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy, or POEM. UT Health RGV announced Thursday that it recently performed its first procedure in partnership with Rio Grande Regional Hospital, making it one of the first providers in the region to offer the treatment.
“This milestone represents our commitment to bringing advanced, academic medicine-level care to patients here in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Dr. Julianna Yang, a gastroenterologist at UT Health RGV who performed the procedure.
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