A new surgical procedure may help people with acid reflux. It's a very common problem and this new approach doesn't involve any incisions.
"It felt pretty bad," said Barbara Zalewski. "It burned a lot, no matter what you ate."
Acid reflux affects 60 million Americans.
"I did a lot of over-the-counter medicines, Prilosec, Zantac."
People like 40-year-old Zalewski, who tried to give up some of her favorite foods. But for many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, the medicine isn't enough to control the problem.
Surgery is an option that provides real relief. It can be done with small incisions, or laparoscopically, but it can be painful, and take a while to recover.
Now there's a new surgical procedure that involves no cutting. The surgeon goes into the esophagus through the mouth.
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"It's part of that new trend that we're starting to hear more and more about: natural orifice surgery," said Reston Hospital Center Surgeon Dr. Karim Trad. "In other words, using natural openings in our body to access the organs that need to be operated on."
Trad said he uses a special device to enter the throat. He's able to insert a small camera and surgical tools that enable him to reconstruct a valve between the stomach and esophagus that blocks the digestive acids from coming up.
"But since there are no incisions, they are basically up and about at the very next day," said Trad.
"I felt fine, like I didn't even have surgery," said Zalewski.
Research is showing that 85 percent of patients who undergo this procedure find relief, without medication. Even more important is that it may prevent cancer later on. Studies show that GERD can lead to cancer of the esophagus.
"This country and worldwide, it's probably the fastest growing GI cancer and we know that it is linked to reflux," Trad said.
Now afters years of battling GERD, Zalewski said she can go back to eating her favorite foods.
"I don't even have it anymore," she said. "I can eat Mexican food."
The surgery is done with general anesthesia and requires an overnight stay. Not all GERD cases will work with this surgery. It depends on the size of the valve that is being reconstructed.
