Specialized, Minimally Invasive Procedure Corrects Acid Reflux Problems

Eating a normal meal or just enjoying a beverage used to be a problem for Dawn Carswell. For years she suffered from chronic heartburn as the result of gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD.

“At one point in time, it didn’t matter what I ate or drank. It could be a glass of water and I would get acid reflux,” said Carswell.

With GERD, the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the esophagus doesn’t function normally. Thus stomach acid and contents back up into the esophagus causing irritation and pain. In Carswell’s case, she also suffered from a hiatal hernia which resulted in a large bulge between her stomach and esophagus.

“I would eat something and then I would have a reaction, and it would be ‘Oh my gosh, I’m sick, and what am I going to do?’” she said.

“That is indeed a symptom of gastric reflux,” said Dr. King Ang, chief of surgery at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital of the Detroit Medical Center. “The burning, the coughing, the aspiration – some people even experience hoarseness of voice,” he added.

Something had to be done. Carswell was skeptical of traditional open surgery which requires a long incision and leaves a predominant scar. Not to mention a seven-to-ten-day stay in the hospital and four to six weeks of recovery time.

However, Dr. Ang determined that she was a good candidate for a highly specialized, minimally invasive procedure called Nissen Fundoplication. Dr. Ang is one of only a few surgeons in the country trained to perform it.

Nissen Fundoplication involves wrapping part of the stomach around the lower esophagus. This strengthens the muscular valve between the two body parts and prevents the backflow of acid and food from the stomach into the esophagus.

Utilizing specialized instruments, Dr. Ang performed the procedure – sewing and tying tissue -- through tiny openings he made in Carswell’s abdomen. The benefits of the procedure were amazing for Carswell. Not only were her acid reflux problems cured, she spent only a few days in the hospital and underwent a week of recovery before returning to normal activity.

According to Dr. Donald Weaver, chief of surgery at the Detroit Medical Center, “I think the future of surgery is definitely going to be smaller and smaller incisions with more technology employed to accomplish things we’ve done for decades,” he said.

For more information or to schedule an appointment at any DMC facility, call 1-888-DMC-2500.