Esophageal Procedures
The Lincoln Surgical team provides minimally invasive treatment for esophageal conditions like GERD, acid reflux, achalasia, and gastroparesis.
These include the LINX Reflux Management System and therapeutic endoscopy.
Therapeutic Endoscopy
Lincoln Surgical also performs therapeutic endoscopy, which is a procedure that doesn't require incisions and uses an endoscope to look down the throat and fix diseases like achalasia and gastroparesis. Some anti-reflux procedures can also be performed through an endoscope without any incisions on the abdomen.
LINX Procedure
Lincoln Surgical offers the LINX procedure to treat GERD. While Nissen fundoplication has been around for 60 years and is the treatment that everything is compared to, the LINX has only been around for about 10 years.
The long-term results of LINX are good. This procedure is performed laparoscopically with a tiny incision on the abdomen. First, the surgeon fixes the hiatal hernia, then they pull all the stomach back down into the belly where it's supposed to be and out of the chest. They close the diaphragm behind it and put in magnetic beads around the bottom of the esophagus that open and close when food goes through. That simulates the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, or the opening and closing of that sphincter muscle, much the way your body should have been doing before.
One of the biggest differences between the Nissen procedure and LINX is how soon patients can eat after surgery. The transition to a soft-food diet takes much longer with Nissen fundoplication; patients should be eating every hour they are awake after the LINX procedure. The LINX is also an outpatient, or same-day, surgery.
LINX Reflux Management System Important Safety Information
The LINX Reflux Management System is a laparoscopic, fundic-sparing anti-reflux procedure indicated for patients diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) as defined by abnormal pH testing, and who are seeking an alternative to continuous acid suppression therapy (i.e. proton pump inhibitors or equivalent) in the management of their GERD. Rx Only. Contraindications: Do not implant the LINX system in patients with suspected or known allergies to titanium, stainless steel, nickel, or ferrous materials. Warnings: The LINX device is considered MR Conditional in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system up to either 0.7 Tesla (0.7T) or 1.5 Tesla (1.5T), depending on the LINX model implanted. Laparoscopic placement of the LINX device is major surgery. General Precautions: The LINX device is a long-term implant for use in patients 21 years or older. Medical management of adverse reactions may include explantation and/or replacement. Potential Risks Associated with LINX System: belching, decreased appetite, device erosion, device migration (device does not appear to be at the implant site), dysphagia (difficult swallowing), flatulence, hiccups, inability to belch or vomit, infection, nausea, odynophagia (painful swallowing), pain regurgitation, stomach bloating, weight loss, and worsening of preoperative symptoms. Your physician can help you determine if LINX is right for you. Patient results may vary. For full patient information, visit www.linxforlife.com or www.ethicon.com.
Acid Reflux Patient Experiences
Check out how Dr. Smith changed Erik and Sharla Hemanns' lives.
Success Story