Reflux & Heartburn

GERD is a condition in where there is excessive backwashing of gastric contents into the esophagus due to a weak lower esophageal sphincter (muscle).

Heartburn or a burning feeling in the chest is a key symptom but is not always present. Another frequent symptom is regurgitation of sour or bitter liquid, sometimes mixed with food, to the throat or mouth. Other relatively common symptoms include hoarseness or voice changes, chest pain, cough, sore throat, difficulty swallowing or the feeling of food sticking in the esophagus, choking feeling and frequent belching/burping. GERD can cause nausea and vomiting, bronchitis, recurrent pneumonia, poor quality of sleep, dental problems, bad breath and asthma.

The cause of GERD is stomach acid backing into the esophagus due to a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is a muscular ring of muscles that opens to allow food to pass into the stomach.

Acid-suppressing medications such as Omeprazole or other Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) drugs may be prescribed to treat GERD symptoms. PPI’s reduce acid production by blocking the acid pump in the stomach’s parietal cells.

Typically medications are very effective in treating acid reflux disease. However, there may be health side effects with long-term PPI use and they do not stop esophageal cancer from developing. If medications don’t work to control GERD symptoms, MRHC offers minimally invasive surgery procedures that can help.

The MRHC reflux specialists are renowned for their expertise in advanced minimally invasive reflux surgery. They perform the following proven effective procedures, typically on an outpatient basis:

LINX magnetic sphincter augmentation procedure: The LINX System is a small flexible bracelet of interlinked titanium beads with magnetic cores. It is implanted with a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure around the weak lower esophageal sphincter. The magnetic attraction between the beads helps the LES resist opening to gastric pressures, preventing reflux from the stomach from going into the esophagus. Swallowing food temporarily opens the magnetic bond, allowing food and liquid to pass normally into the stomach.

TIF Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication: The TIF procedure is performed from inside the patient’s stomach without incisions. This procedure delivers patient outcomes similar to those provided by conventional ARS procedures, but is less invasive, has fewer adverse effects, and does not limit future treatment options. Following the principles of ARS, the TIF procedure repairs the anti-reflux barrier by reducing a hiatal hernia (≤ 2 cm), and creating a valve 2 to 4 cm in length and greater than 270-degree circumferential wrap.

These are three surgical procedures in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower end of the esophagus and stitched in place, reinforcing the closing function of the lower esophageal sphincter. Each fundoplication procedure can be done laparoscopically. This means that the surgeon makes several small incisions and inserts tiny surgical instruments and a small, thin tube with a camera and light to perform the surgery. The outcome is faster recovery with minimal scars.

Nissen Fundoplication: The Nissen works by restoring the function of the damaged valve that is the actual cause of acid reflux. The fundus is wrapped all the way around the bottom of your esophagus to tighten the sphincter. This is done by wrapping part of the stomach very loosely around the lower esophagus at the location of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

Toupet Fundoplication: The fundus is wrapped about two-thirds of the way around the back side, or posterior, of the bottom of the esophagus. This creates a sort of valve that lets the patient more easily release gas through burps or vomit when necessary.

Collis-Nissen Fundoplication: Collis gastroplasty is a procedure to lengthen a shortened esophagus, in order to treat the underlying cause of GERD. A shortened esophagus happens when irritation from chronic acid reflux leaves scar tissue in the esophagus.

Over time, untreated reflux disease can create an abnormal lining called Barrett’s esophagus, which can lead to cancer of the esophagus. This cancer is the fastest rising cancer in the United States, with over a 600 percent increase in the last three decades. Esophageal cancer is very often life-threatening because it is usually detected at late stages when treatment is rarely effective. The good news is that patients with Barrett’s esophagus can be treated to prevent the progression of the disease to esophageal cancer. New medical detection techniques are now available that can virtually cure Barrett’s esophagus if the condition is detected at an early stage.

No, you don’t need a referral from your primary care physician to make an appointment at the Minnesota Reflux and Heartburn Center. Simply call our Specialty Clinic at 218-429-3930.

Diagnostic testing, medications and surgical procedures for gastroesophageal disease are typically covered by most health insurance plans. Contact our our Specialty Clinic at 218-429-3930 for any questions about insurance coverage.