After eating, the direction of movement of food follows a way through mouth - oesophagus - stomach and intestines, i.e. food movement is from top to bottom. Food mixed with acid in the stomach do not harm the stomach due to the properties of the stomach wall. However, in reflux disease, if the acidic stomach content moves from the stomach to the oesophagus, it causes damage, erosion and pain in the oesophagus. Patients typically have symptoms such as feeling like vomiting after eating, burning in the chest, waking up from sleep with similar symptoms at night when they go to bed with a full stomach. We diagnose reflux disease by examining the oesophagus and stomach with a finger-thick camera called an endoscopy, which gives us a clear picture of the damage to the lower end of the oesophagus and the loosening of its connection with the stomach. In the treatment of reflux disease, dietary recommendations and medical treatment are mainly applied, but if the reflux is advanced, medical treatment is not enough. In these cases, surgical treatment may be planned.
Surgical treatment:
As with other laparoscopic procedures, reflux surgery is performed through small holes in the abdomen. The operation takes approximately 1 hour. The loose part where the stomach and oesophagus meet is narrowed, thus preventing overflow from the stomach into the oesophagus. After the operation, hospitalisation for two nights is sufficient, after which the patient is discharged. During the first week after surgery, nutrition with liquid/watery foods is recommended, then normal nutrition can be started.