Anti-reflux surgery is a treatment for acid reflux or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). A problem in which the food or gastric acid is returned from the stomach to the esophagus. The symptoms of reflux or gastric acidity are: burning in the stomach (which can be felt in the throat or chest), belching or bubbling gas, and difficulty swallowing food or liquids.
The most common procedure of this type is called fundoplication. During this intervention, the surgeon will:
- Repair the hiatal hernia, if one is present. This involves tightening the opening in your diaphragm with stitches to keep your stomach from bulging upward through the opening in the muscle wall. Sometimes, a piece of mesh is placed in the repaired area to make it more secure.
- Wrap the upper part of your stomach around the end of your esophagus with stitches. The stitches create pressure at the end of your esophagus, which helps prevent stomach acid and food from flowing up from the stomach into the esophagus.