Procedure for acid reflux disease available at Perry Hospital

The procedure to insert the LINX device, a ring of magnetic titanium beads used in the treatment of acid reflux, is now available at the Perry Hospital.  

Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux disease is a chronic digestive disease that is caused by a weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter. This weakness allows acid and bile to flow into the esophagus from the stomach. The symptoms of reflux include, but are not limited to, heartburn, cough, chest pain, difficulty swallowing and sore throat. Over time, reflux could cause complications like sinusitis, narrowing and/or erosion of the esophagus and esophageal cancer.

According to Dr. Danny Vaughn, the minimally invasive procedure consists of placing the LINX device around the lower esophagus to keep it closed. When food is swallowed, the beads pull apart to allow the food to pass down the esophagus to the stomach and come back together when the food has passed to prevent reflux. Vaughn also said that patients are usually released to go home on the same day.

Dr. Vaughn said that the traditional surgical therapy, which has been around for years, involved wrapping the upper stomach around the esophagus, which has its own set of risks and complications. Dr. Vaughn said that the LINX device is a new therapy with lesser potential side effects and that he has been performing these procedures since roughly 2015.

The most common side effect that he said he has seen is difficulty swallowing within the first three months after the procedure. “If it’s a foreign body, your body is trying to form a scar around it; it always does that. And the LINX device is no different,” Vaughn stated. He further explained that when the scar starts to form, the scar may get tight and cause difficulty swallowing, but this gets better over time. According to Vaughn, this is not a long term problem and is routine within the first three months. It is also not usually painful.

Vaughn said that qualification for candidacy for the procedure is having significant reflux. There are typically three main tests performed to determine if there is reflux present: a pH probe, a study of the squeezing of the esophagus, and an endoscopy. If there is a presence of reflux and the esophagus squeezes normally, then the patient would be a candidate for the procedure. If the esophagus does not squeeze normally, Vaughn pointed out, the device would not work. Vaughn also shared that this procedure might not apply to patients with metal allergies; they may need to be sent to an allergist for clarification.

One symptom of acid reflux that Vaughn said the device is effective for is acid regurgitation when lying down. “That’s probably the symptom that patients get the most relief from with this,” Vaughn said.

He also noted that there is not an expiration date for the device and that the satisfaction with the procedure is usually over 90%.

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