No-Incision Surgery Cures Acid Reflux - Health News Story - WFTV Orlando

Read this article, it may help you end the pain for good.

Heartburn, or what doctors call "acid reflux" or GERD, makes life miserable for about 140-thousand people here in Central Florida. It's caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. It can be very serious, and if left unchecked, it can lead to cancer.

You can take pills all your life to control it, but those pills can have serious side affects, increasing the risk of other diseases like osteoporosis, even Alzheimer's. Now there's a cure for GERD and a local doctor is one of the first in the nation to perform this amazing new procedure. More Information From Munroe Regional Medical Center Laura Caligiuri has been a nurse for 27 years, but now she's the patient. She suffered from acid reflux for 15 years, now she's banking on a brand new procedure to fix the problem that plagues her, especially when she is trying to sleep.

"I wake up in the middle of the night gurgling acid and my throat is burning and I don't like that feeling," Laura said.

Bariatric surgeon Dr. Todd Overcash is the first surgeon on the east coast, and only one of three in the country to perform the new procedure called "tif" or transoral incisionless fundoplication. Laura is one of the first patients to benefit.

"Most of the nurses on this floor are using me as a guinea pig. They are going to see how well I do because they are going to be lining up to have this procedure done," Laura said.

It may look like typical surgery, but it's not.

"The breakthrough in this procedure is there are no incisions. A patient can have the surgery one day and literally return for work the next day," said Dr. Overcash.

Earlier procedures to fix the problem would involve surgical incisions, a day's stay in the hospital, and two to six weeks recovery with serious side affects. Dr Overcash inserts a device down Laura's throat into her stomach. He creates a valve between the stomach and the esophagus. That stops the acid from flowing back into her throat. It requires no cutting and no incisions.

"Essentially there is no pain with this procedure. It takes about an hour to do and you can go home the next day and resume your activities."

Laura knows exactly what activity she wants to do most.

"I like to eat spicy food and I like red wine and I have to have my chocolate," she said.

Prior to this Dr.Overcash had been pioneering some techniques in gastric bypass surgery at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala. The FDA just approved this "tif" procedure and Laura is only the fourth patient in the United States. There have been hundreds of successful cases in Europe.
No-Incision Surgery Cures Acid Reflux - Health News Story - WFTV Orlando

Heartburn / GERD - Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment

Heartburn / GERD - Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment: "Does it seem like no matter what you eat, heartburn keeps occurring? Anyone suffering from heartburn needs have a special acid reflux diet. You need to know what foods are safe, and avoid the foods that can trigger your heartburn. You need to know how to prepare your foods to avoid heartburn-triggering ingredients. To get you started, check out the resources below. Charts to show you what you can eat and what you shouldn't. Heartburn-free recipes. There are also links to menus with heartburn-friendly foods."

The Hows Of Heartburn - Los Angeles Times

The hows of heartburn - Los Angeles Times: "Spicy or greasy foods, onions, chocolate -- all can take a painful, post-meal toll in the form of heartburn or acid indigestion. When these problems occur often, as they do for millions of Americans, they become known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Whether the discomfort is occasional or chronic, choosing food and drink more carefully can ease the symptoms. So too, perhaps, can a supplement most commonly associated with sleep. At the root of the problem is a bit of faulty plumbing. When the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus -- the lower esophageal sphincter -- relaxes too much, stomach contents can back up into the esophagus, irritating it and leading not just to heartburn, irritation and acid regurgitation, but also coughing, hoarseness and chest pain"