Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, GERD, is a chronic and serious condition. If you are looking for a GERD or Heartburn doctor in Houston, TX please consider the following:
- Is the doctor board certified? Only select a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
- Is the doctor trained in the field of heartburn and acid reflux? Only select a surgeon who is fellowship trained in minimally invasive foregut surgery (the field of gastro-esophageal reflux disease).
- How often does the physician treat GERD patients? Only choose dedicated physicians to the treatment of GERD. These highly specialized experts practice in Heartburn Reflux centers that use state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for GERD management. Ask your surgeon about the number of anti-reflux surgeries he has performed. Your surgeon should have done over 100 procedures in his or her career.
- What do other patients say? Ask your doctor to provide contact information for 2 or 3 patients who have the procedure performed by him. Call these people and discuss their experience.
- Does your doctor take his time to explain to you the diagnosis, prognosis or disease progression, treatment options, alternatives and procedure risk factors? Choose a compassionate physician who treats you as a member of his own family.
If you are not satisfied with your physician or surgeon you should look further. Don’t be rushed into a something you are not convinced of especially when it comes to GERD treatment.