First patients in UK receive revolutionary device to stop acid reflux and heartburn

^(A UHS nurse, Danielle Harding, and consultant general and oesophagogastric surgeon at UHS Fergus Noble. Danielle Harding, 30, is the first patient with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease to undergo the RefluxStop procedure at UHS (University Hospital Southampton/PA Wire)

The first patients in the UK have had a new device implanted to prevent severe acid reflux disease.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) and Imperial College London have become the first NHS trusts in the country to install the device called the RefluxStop, with Southampton being the first to use robotic surgery for the procedure.

Known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), the condition occurs when contents from the stomach flow back into the oesophagus – the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

This can result in a range of symptoms including heartburn, regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, bloating, excessive salivation, coughing, nausea and a hoarse voice, as well as teeth and gum damage, nutritional problems, and sleep impairment.

It happens when the muscular valve – the lower oesophageal sphincter – at the bottom of the oesophagus becomes weakened because it has moved too close to the diaphragm or even into the chest which affects its function to allow food in and stop acid leaking out.”

This article is from the Independent, to continue reading click here – First patients in UK receive revolutionary device to stop acid reflux and heartburn | The Independent

If you would like more information on RefluxStop, check out our leaflet here- RefluxStop Leaflet – The OPA

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