How a silicone “ping pong ball” implant in the stomach can relieve chronic heartburn

Patients battling severe heartburn may find relief from a small silicone ball implanted in the stomach.

With a device slightly smaller than a table tennis ball, chest pain caused by stomach acid breaking down caustic food leaking back up into the throat can be radically reduced.

Although heartburn, known as acid reflux disease or, in severe cases, gastroesophageal reflux disease, is common and can be triggered by eating certain foods, the damage it causes to the esophagus, which connects the mouth and stomach, can cause serious complications, including cancer.

A new device, called RefluxStop, solves the problem by simply pressing gently on the faulty valve at the top of the stomach to prevent acid from escaping.

A new device, called RefluxStop, solves the problem by simply pressing gently on the faulty valve at the top of the stomach to prevent acid from escaping.

One of the first Britons to benefit has told how a 12,000 operation ended his two-decade battle with acid reflux (file image)

One of the first Britons to benefit from it has told how the 12,000 operation ended his two-decade battle with acid reflux. After surgery in September, researcher Dr. Andrew Gilfillan’s symptoms have gradually improved and he can now eat foods he had to avoid for years.

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In 2007, Billy McNabb, a 44-year-old French civil servant, visited his doctor complaining of weakness in his left leg.

Scans revealed that his skull was filled with fluid, known as hydrocephalus, which left only a thin layer around the brain.

Scans revealed his skull was filled with fluid, known as hydrocephalus, leaving only a thin layer of the brain outside (file image)

The disease can cause learning difficulties and speech and memory problems, but Billy had nevertheless lived a normal life, married and had two children. Tests showed he had an IQ of 75.

Doctors later drained the fluid, although his brain remained small.

“I recently had a curry which I hadn’t been able to eat for as long as I can remember,” says Dr Gilfillan, 57, from Lincoln. – I also had to sleep leaning on the bed, because lying flat worsened the reflux, and it caused me to feel terribly unwell. Now I don’t have to.

The procedure is available privately at Spire Manchester Hospital. However, Paul Goldsmith, an NHS upper gastrointestinal surgeon who specializes in the implant technique, is hopeful that it will soon be adopted more widely. “This op is suitable for all patients with reflux disease,” he says.

Although many people experience heartburn from time to time, up to one in five adults suffer from painful episodes at least once a week and are considered to have gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Regular heartburn is typically caused by a weakness in the lower esophageal sphincter or a defect in the valve at the top of the stomach that lets food through. If it doesn’t close properly, stomach acid can flow back into the esophagus, causing pain.

Over time, this can even increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

The disease is more common in people over 40 and obese people, because being overweight can put pressure on the stomach and push acid up. Smoking, alcohol, spicy foods and citrus fruits can also trigger symptoms. Most people find that dieting, avoiding certain foods, and taking anti-reflux medications such as Gaviscon relieve the problem, but up to 40 percent of sufferers do not.

A surgery called fundoplication is available for these patients, in which part of the stomach is sewn around the esophagus to tighten the sphincter.

Unfortunately, some have difficulty swallowing afterwards, making the situation worse.

The RefluxStop implant works differently. A silicone ball is inserted into the stomach and its gentle pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter helps to keep it closed and prevent acid from leaking. However, it does not apply enough pressure to prevent swallowing.

Mr Goldsmith says: “A significant number of reflux patients suffer from poor esophageal motility problems in the muscles that control the way food travels down the esophagus to the stomach. This is due to long-term poorly controlled reflux and damage to the esophagus from stomach acid.

“Some patients say they have trouble swallowing food that ‘sticks’ or doesn’t go down, but others may have no symptoms at all, and it’s only through testing that we find a motility problem.

“These patients usually say that their reflux symptoms are not controlled by lifestyle or medication, but they may also be unsuitable for fundoplication.

“RefluxStop allows us to preserve the natural anatomy of the esophagus and treat acid reflux without affecting nutritional supplements.”

Dr. Gilfillan, a married father of one, says he has tried to manage his reflux by not eating after 7 p.m., eating smaller, regular meals throughout the day, avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter medications.

But he adds: “About four years ago it started to get worse. I woke up in the night coughing because the acid and partially digested food was moving back up my throat, so I had to sleep on bed rest. It was horrible.’

When he read about RefluxStop in the newspaper, he decided to give it a try.

“I dipped into my savings and I’m glad I did,” she says. “It’s early days and I still have a bit of reflux, but the symptoms at night, which weren’t pleasant at all, are much better now.”