Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is being diagnosed at an alarming rate. More commonly known as Acid Reflux Disease, GERD is a treatable condition with varying rates of severity. For more mild cases of GERD, physicians are often able to treat the condition with either prescription or over the counter medications. But, in severe cases, GERD can cause extreme Pain, cough, hoarseness, bloating, difficulty swallowing, burning in the chest and regurgitation. When these symptoms do not subside with traditional treatment methods, surgery is often used to correct the condition.
While surgical results have been reported as fantastic in the immediate months following the surgery, these short term benefits are not true gauge of the overall positive effects of anti-reflux surgery. Researchers recently completed a study, testing the affects of surgery on GERD over a longer period of recovery time.
In the study, researchers were able to contact nearly 300 surgical patients who had undergone this advanced treatment for GERD. Of the patients reporting on their current condition, 90% claimed a reduction in
Heartburn, with nearly 70% saying all heartburn has ceased since the surgery. Cough and hoarseness was improved in more than 65% of the patients, but was resolved in none of the cases studied. Regurgitation, which is the second most common symptom reported when patients are diagnosed with GERD, has total disappeared in 70% of the surgical cases with an improvement in more than 90%.
Some of the patients reported having difficulty swallowing and
Diarrhea post surgery. These symptoms were not reported before the surgery has taken place.
Researchers are happy with the overall outcome of the long term progress of the surgery. The patients interviewed were a minimum of 69 months out from the initial surgery, with many claiming a total resolution to the symptoms suffered before they were treated.
