David D Shersher, MD
Cooper University Health Care recently became the first hospital in South Jersey to offer the LINX® Reflux Management System for people whose chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) cannot be controlled medically.
Unlike standard surgical treatments for GERD, the minimally invasive LINX treatment uses a tiny bracelet of magnetic titanium beads to surround and compress the lower esophageal sphincter. This valve normally prevents stomach fluids from refluxing into the esophagus.
The magnetic attraction between the beads prevents gastric pressure from pushing open the muscle. The bracelet is flexible enough that the force of swallowing allows the beads, which are strung with titanium wire, to expand with the normal passage of food into the stomach.
“We are proud to be the first in South Jersey to use the LINX device in patients with unresolved GERD,” said David D. Shersher, MD, thoracic surgeon and co-director of the Aerodigestive Program, at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. “This innovative therapy adds another tool to our already robust Aerodigestive Program at Cooper.”
Click to download our free GERD ebook
The first case at Cooper involved a complex patient who suffered from years of severe reflux and could no longer be effectively managed with medication. He had testing to better understand the anatomy and physiology of his esophagus and his case was discussed by a multidisciplinary team of gastroenterologists and surgeons which deemed him an appropriate candidate for the LINX device.
The LINX procedure generally takes less than an hour. It is performed laparoscopically, under general anesthesia. Because no surgical alteration of the stomach or the esophagus is needed, most patients are able to go home the day after surgery. Most are able to resume a normal diet immediately.
To learn more about GERD and treatment options available at Cooper, like the LINX system, download our free eBook.
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Wendy A. Marano
Public Relations Manager
marano-wendy@cooperhealth.edu
856.382.6463