Team to install new device to prevent chronic acid reflux

A prescription to buy Prevacid is effective at relieving symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the majority of patients. However, a very small number of individuals with the condition will not respond to these medications. For these patients, complicated surgery has traditionally been the only remaining option.

However, a team of doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Florida is getting set to install a revolutionary medical device in a man with persistent acid reflux that could offer many advantages over traditional surgery.

The device features a ring of magnetic beads. It is implanted at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach. The magnetism of the ring is strong enough that it closes off the opening of the esophagus, preventing acid from travelling up, but weak enough that food can open the ring and pass through.

"I have many patients who are searching for something more than medication for their reflux, but have been hesitant to undergo a traditional reflux surgery," said Ken DeVault, a surgeon at the clinic. "I think this procedure may well be a very attractive option for that group."