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I will briefly talk about a patient with severe heartburn, suffering for the past 7 years. I saw him a year back with his latest endoscopy report showing Grade A esophagitis that is a mild form of damage to the food pipe due to acid coming back into the food pipe from the stomach. But his was despite the high dose of acid-suppressing medications he was having for the past few years.
He was unable to stop them due to severe heartburn giving him sleepless nights and affecting his daily work. Significantly affecting his quality of life. I suggested him to undergo a 24 hr pH with Impedance study and undergo surgery for a permanent solution. The pH with impedance study showed severe reflux and also suggested that all his symptoms are due to reflux (good symptom reflux correlation by high Symptom association probability or SAP). All this points to surgery as a permanent solution. Surgery is laparoscopic with very quick recovery.
But like all humans, he is scared of surgery, differed it. Took the opinion of multiple doctors physicians, gastrophysicians, surgeons, and G I surgeons. All having their own opinion further confusing him. After a year that showed further worsening of his symptoms, he is finally planned for surgery in a couple of days.
While I am sure of giving him a permanent solution to his problems with a Laparoscopic Fundoplication surgery, the question is when a patient should say enough is enough? Many doctors not used to see the outcomes of these surgeries may not be confident in suggesting surgery for your problems. Again in our society sleepless nights and a poor quality of life are considered acceptable. But in doing so we just defer the inevitable to a later date rather than able to prevent it completely. In doing so we just push the patient to have a few more years with a poor quality of life.
To know more about acid reflux and its surgery watch our patient information video below.
Disclaimer: The same article has been published by me on Practo health feed with the link
https://fit.practo.com/#!/content/29646
Your health journey is personal. Whether you’re dealing with GERD/Acid reflux and/or IBS, the right medical approach can make all the difference. Dr. Chirag’s approach focuses on patient education, precision, and compassionate care.
If you’re seeking the best GERD/Acid reflux, IBS or Gastrointestinal doctor in Ahmedabad, look for a specialist who combines medical expertise with a patient-first approach. Your path to recovery starts with understanding your options and working with a trusted medical professional. Get in touch with us.
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ADROIT is one of the few centres for GERD treatment that offers everything required for GERD treatment under one roof. It provides all the evaluation tests including Endoscopy, Esophageal manometry, 24-hour pH with impedance study and where the treatment includes not only surgery but also nutrition and psychological support along with regular follow-up for a long time, resulting in the best long-term results for our patients
Dr. Chirag Thakkar is a gastrointestinal surgeon. He has been carrying out Gastrointestinal and weight loss surgery in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India for the past 18 years. Surgery for GERD, Hiatus hernia and Obesity are his core areas of interest and expertise. Even in the case of laparoscopic hernia surgery for complex and recurrent hernias, patients recover faster with minimal post-surgery pain and the best functional outcome. He also has vast experience in laparoscopic surgery for gallstone removal.
Dr Chirag Thakkar
Senior Gastrointestinal and Bariatric surgeon
GERD and Esophageal Motility Expert
Hernia Surgery Specialist
Founder Director of ADROIT Centre for Digestive and Obesity Surgery
Dr.Chirag Thakkar
