Norwalk Hospital is one of three Connecticut hospitals to introduce a new surgical treatment option for chronic reflux disease, according to the hospital.
Dr. Neil Floch, director of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at the hospital, recently completed several laparoscopy surgeries to treat chronic reflux diseases using the LINX system. The system is an FDA-approved titanium-beaded bracelet with magnetic cores that is placed around the esophagus to support the lower muscle that opens and closes to let food enter and stay in the stomach. It also serves to restore the body’s natural barrier to reflux.
Laparoscopic surgery with the LINX system is an advanced treatment method for “millions who suffer from chronic heartburn, regurgitation and nausea” and want an alternative to lifelong medications, Floch said in a hospital press release. The surgery eliminates or reduces reflux symptoms “without the gas and bloating or altering of the stomach associated with traditional reflux surgery,” he added.
About 15 million Americans suffer from heartburn, a result of gastroesophageal reflux disease, every day, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, which was cited in the press release. If the disease is untreated, it could increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
