Patients who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, often find that their symptoms are immediately and dramatically improved after receiving the gastric band.  Many of them no longer need to take daily medications like Nexium, Prilosec, and Protonix.  It seems that the restriction of the band helps prevent the backflow of acidic fluid made in the stomach to aid digestion from refluxing back into the esophagus.  Also, if our patients have a hiatal hernia, which most of the patients with GERD do, we can easily repair the hernia defect at the time of surgery with just a few minutes added onto the operation time.  If you have questions about your reflux and potential for improvement after surgery, be sure to ask at your consultation visit, or give our physician assistant, Melissa Moyer, a call at 702-313-8446.

– Dr. Darren Soong