1. Heartburn: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the GERD Quiz

Medical Author:

P John Simic, MD

Coauthor:

Vincent W Yang, MD, PhD

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

View Full Profile

Surgery is never the first option for treating GERD. Changes in lifestyle, diet, and habits, nonprescription antacids, and prescription medications all must be tried before resorting to surgery. Only if all else fails is surgery recommended. Because lifestyle changes and medications work well in most people, surgery is done on only a small number of people.

The operation used most often for GERD is called fundoplication.

• Fundoplication works by increasing pressure in the lower esophagus to keep acid from backing up.
• The surgeon wraps part of your stomach around your esophagus like a collar and tacks it down to provide more of a one-way valve effect.
• This procedure now can be done laparoscopically. The surgeon makes a couple of very small cuts in your belly and inserts long narrow instruments and a fiberoptic camera (laparoscope) through the slits. This method leaves little scarring and can produce a much faster recovery.
• Like all surgical procedures, fundoplication does not always work and can have complications.

Must Read Articles Related to Acid Reflux Disease (GERD)

Chest Pain Chest pain has many causes. Life-threatening causes include heart attack, angina, aortic dissection, perforated viscus, pulmonary embolism, collapsed lung, and ...learn more >>

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) FAQs Acid reflux (GERD) is caused by lifestyle factors (alcohol, obesity), medication, diet, medical conditions, and eating habits. Symptoms of acid reflux (GERD) in...learn more >>

Heartburn Heartburn is a symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Heartburn symptoms include a burning feeling in the chest, hoarseness, chronic cough, sore th...learn more >>

See the Entire Acid Reflux Disease (GERD) Topic Guide »