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Those with acid reflux know that the problem is one that will stay with them for life. Caused by a lack of strength of the lower esophageal sphincter, acid reflux causes harmful fluids to rise from the stomach into the esophagus, causing corrosive damage due to the stomach acid found in the liquid.

In addition to the possibility of developing serious health conditions such as erosive esophagitis, Barretts esophagus, and esophageal cancer, patients afflicted with acid reflux have to deal with the agony of heartburn on a daily basis.

There is light on the horizon, however. There’s a new surgical procedure that is starting to get some traction for dealing with acid reflux. It’s known as the Plicator procedure and only takes about twenty minutes to complete. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Here is a basic explanation of what happen during the procedure.

- The Plicator, a small electronic device, is place on the end of an endoscopy tube. Endoscopies are procedures wherein a tube gets lowered into the digestive tract through the mouth while the patient is sedated, but conscious.

- Once the Plicator reaches the stomach, it is used to grab the tissue located between the stomach and the esophagus. It then closes its “arms”, crimping the tissue. A suture is placed to hold the tissue in place.

- As a result, the area between the stomach and the esophagus now has a much tighter opening. This can aid the lower esophageal sphincter in being able to successfully open and close the passageway between the stomach and the esophagus.

Those who undergo this procedure usually don’t experience any unwanted side effects, and are often back to their normal activities the following day. Several studies have been done to measure the effectiveness of the procedure for eliminating heartburn.

The studies showed that the need for prescription heartburn medications was eliminated in 70 percent of all patients who underwent the procedure! Also, 80 percent of all patients undergoing the surgery saw a lessened amount of reflux post-procedure. After undergoing the surgery, patients are often advised to follow a diet of soft foods for a few days while the suture sets.

The effects of the surgery can be seen almost suddenly; within a few days of the surgery, most people are able to wane themselves off of their heartburn medications. People who have the surgery performed commonly experience sore throats or abdominal pain after the procedure, but these problems usually clear up within a few days.

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