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What Causes GERD?
GERD is caused by acid that escapes from your stomach through a weakened one-way valve near the top of your stomach. The acid can travel backward as far as your throat. Eating certain foods and taking certain medications can add to the problem. Smoking, caffeine, and alcohol all increase the level of acid in your stomach, and can make your symptoms worse.
What Are the Symptoms of GERD?
The symptoms of GERD may include:
- A burning feeling in the chest (heartburn)
- A bitter or sour taste in the back of the mouth
- Belching
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- Worsening of the above symptoms when bending over or lying down
- Chronic cough and hoarseness
Relief Through Surgery
If other attempts to control your GERD don't offer relief, you may be a candidate for laparoscopic fundoplication. This surgery is done using a laparoscope, a small telescope attached to a camera. The laparoscope allows the doctor to see clearly into your abdomen. During the surgery, the doctor re-creates the one-way valve where the esophagus (the tube that food travels through) meets the stomach. Any other necessary repairs can be done at this time.
Viewing the Digestive Tract
A barium upper GI is a series of x-ray films that reveal your digestive tract in action. As you swallow a barium milk shake, x-rays monitor the barium dye while it ravels to your stomach, capturing any reflux action on film. The x-rays may also show whether you have a hiatal hernia. You should not eat or drink anything for 6 to 8 hours before taking this brief, painless test.
Preparing for Surgery
If other types of treatment haven't brought you relief, your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure called laparoscopic fundoplication. If you smoke, try to quit beforehand, since smoking adds risk to surgery and recovery. You may also have to stop taking certain medications. Before surgery, your general health will be checked with routine blood and other tests. Then you'll be admitted to the hospital, usually on the same day as your surgery.
Risks and Complications
Any surgery has risks and complications. For laparoscopic fundoplication, these include:
- Injury to the liver, spleen, esophagus, or stomach during surgery
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Increased gas or bloating
- An inability to vomit
- Difficulty swallowing
- Failure of the operation to completely eliminate GERD
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