Acid reflux disease is a complex medical problem that affects every aspect of your life. Acid reflux prevents you from sleeping, resting, enjoying food, exercising … GERD is a chronic and progressive problem that slowly but surely takes over your life. Most heartburn patients self-medicate with over the counter acid suppressants. Some consult with their primary care physicians who typically start GERD patients on prescription heartburn medications. Others are referred to a gastroenterologist who performs an upper endoscopy, very rarely uses ambulatory pH testing and most commonly end up prescribing heartburn medications. Robert is a 55-year-old Math teacher who presented last week at Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center with worsening heartburn of 30 years. He was particularly bothered by constant belching and bloating. He felt heavy and uncomfortable after a regular meal. He responded poorly to heartburn medications. He consulted with a number of physicians including his gastroenterologist who, like his primary care physician, downgraded his acid reflux symptoms and escalated his heartburn medications. Patient, however, did not improve.
When Robert was finally evaluated at Houston Heartburn and Reflux Center, he was found to have stage 4 GERD with Barrett’s esophagus. He had severe acid reflux in the setting of a hiatal hernia and poor esophageal motility. Robert underwent hiatal hernia repair and 270-degree fundoplication. the minimally invasive approach resulted in less than 24-hour hospital stay and fast, painless and uneventful recovery. Robert returned to work in one week. Overnight, Robert became GERD symptom free. Robert risk of developing esophageal cancer in the future was greatly reduced.
If you are looking for a heartburn and acid reflux specialist in Houston, look carefully. You have one chance at doing it right from the get-go: don’t miss the opportunity that will change your life forever. If you are not satisfied with your acid reflux management don’t settle for a lower quality of life. There are many effective, safe, and reliable solutions for heartburn. Proper acid reflux diagnosis and tailored GERD treatment in the hands of Houston heartburn experts can greatly improve your quality of life.