The first patients in the UK have received a revolutionary device to prevent acid reflux and heartburn

The first patients in the UK have had a new device implanted to prevent severe reflux disease.

The University Hospital of Southampton (UHS) and Imperial College London were the first NHS trusts in the country to install a device called RefluxStop, and Southampton was the first to use robotic surgery for the treatment.

Known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD), this condition occurs when stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the long tube that transports food from the throat to the stomach.

This can cause a range of symptoms, including heartburn, regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, flatulence, excessive salivation, cough, nausea and hoarse voice, as well as damage to teeth and gums, nutritional problems and sleep disturbances.

This happens when a muscular valve – the lower esophageal sphincter – located at the bottom of the esophagus becomes weakened because it has moved too close to the diaphragm or even into the chest, affecting its function of allowing food to pass through and stopping acid from leaking out.

A UHS spokeswoman said: ‘The new ‘revolutionary’ RefluxStop device attaches to the top of the stomach wall and blocks the movement of the lower esophageal sphincter to keep it in its original, natural position and restore normal anatomy and function.

“The implant, made of rounded, solid medical-grade silicone, is approximately 25 mm in diameter – smaller than a ping-pong ball – and is installed using laparoscopic (keyhole) robotic surgery in an everyday setting while patients are in the operating room. less than two hours. “

A spokeswoman said around 20% of the UK adult population has problems with severe acid reflux, or acid reflux, and UHS treats around 50 patients with the condition each year.

The disease can also lead to further complications such as esophageal ulcers, scarred and narrow esophagus, Barrett’s esophagus – changes to the cells in the lining of the esophagus – and esophageal cancer.

It is estimated that one in 10 to 20 people with Barrett’s esophagus will develop esophageal cancer within 10 to 20 years.

Danielle Harding, 30, recently became the first GORD patient to undergo the procedure at UHS.

The mother-of-two from Southampton said: “In 2022 I started suffering from severe acid reflux which has affected my life in so many ways – anything to do with eating and drinking caused me great anxiety, especially outside the home.

“Signs are almost immediate and include intense pain in the chest as reflux travels up the esophagus and burns the throat, often causing vomiting. That was awful”.

Mrs Harding was prescribed medication by her GP, which initially stopped the symptoms before returning. An endoscopy revealed that she had significant damage to her esophagus and that she would need to be on a high dose of medication for the rest of her life.

Mrs Harding said RefluxStop was a no-brainer for her and added: “I had surgery just over a month ago and my symptoms have completely disappeared. I am absolutely delighted and very grateful to Fergus and the team at UHS, it has changed my life.

Fergus Noble, consultant general practitioner and esophagogastric surgeon at UHS, said: “GORD can have such a serious impact on a person’s daily life because they not only experience the physical effects when swallowing and eating, but also the psychological effects of living with the condition.

“RefluxStop is revolutionary because it is minimally invasive, returns the lower esophageal valve to its natural position without side effects, and provides some patients with a viable treatment option for the first time.”