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. A UHS spokeswoman said: “The new ‘revolutionary’ device, RefluxStop, is fixed to the upper part of the stomach wall and blocks movement of the lower oesophageal sphincter to hold it in its original, natural position and restore normal anatomy and function.
“Made out of medical grade rounded solid silicone, the implant measures around 25mm – smaller than a ping pong ball – and is fitted via robotic-assisted laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery as.
