In bad cases of severe gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, the valve between the esophagus and stomach is very weak or it doesn’t work at all. Drugs like Zantac and Nexium sometimes helped only a little.
The surgeon employs a scope and tools that go through the mouth and down the throat to perform a procedure that shrinks the opening to the esophagus, preventing acids from leaking into it. A recent study in the periodical Gastroenterology showed that the operation can be an effective alternative to permanent drug therapy for some GERD patients and may be better than other surgical procedures.
Later methods were less invasive, with numerous small incisions in the stomach for scopes and surgery instruments. With the latest procedure, surgeons go into the mouth with a scope.
However, only about 25% of people suffering from reflux disease would be good candidates for this procedure. It works best on cases with a weak esophageal valve, with a small hiatal hernia or for people that do not respond well to medication.
People whose symptoms can be controlled by medication or lifestyle changes — such as quitting smoking or losing weight — should not need the surgery.
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