Holiday Heartburn a Sign of More Serious Issues?
12/27/2021
Minimally invasive surgery may provide relief when lifestyle changes & medications don’t
The tendency to overeat during the holiday season can often lead to heartburn. But if acid reflux is frequent and difficult to manage even after feasting and festivities end, it may be more than common indigestion and could improve with an outpatient surgical solution.
Emanuel Nearing II, M.D., a surgeon at Lutheran Downtown Hospital, is certified in a minimally invasive surgery using a FDA-approved device for treatment of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
“If a patient has made lifestyle changes, continues to have reflux symptoms and they’ve been tested to confirm the issue is truly acid reflux, GERD may be correctable through what is frequently an outpatient surgery and a great option for symptom relief,” says Nearing.
The device is a flexible ring of titanium magnetic beads that through laparoscopic surgery is placed around the valve at the end of the esophagus where it meets the stomach. The device helps the valve remain closed to prevent reflux while still allowing food to pass into the stomach. Overnight hospital stays aren’t generally required, and Nearing says he has his patients eating a balanced diet immediately after surgery.
About 20 to 30 percent of Americans experience acid reflux symptoms weekly, and the causes can be many. So while an outpatient surgery with quick recovery time and no major diet restrictions might sound like an appealing solution, Nearing says there could be easier fixes for people with frequent acid reflux to consider first, including:
- Quitting smoking, including tobacco, e-cigarettes and marijuana
- Managing medical conditions like obesity
- Eliminating excessive consumption of problem beverages and foods like alcohol, coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, citrus, raw onions and fried foods
If those efforts have been made and a patient is working with a primary care provider or gastroenterologist to address GERD without relief, Nearing says they should consider a consultation to determine if surgery is the right option.
“I want to help people obtain good outcomes,” he says. “My patients who have made important lifestyle changes along with the surgery have done very well and often see complete resolution of their reflux symptoms with a low incidence of recurrence.”
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