Am I Eligible For Reflux Surgery?
We know that many more people who suffer from reflux symptoms would benefit from surgery but are not currently being given the option
At RefluxUK our first priority is to understand the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. This process starts with a conversation with a member of our team to collect some background information on your reflux history. We will then schedule a consultation with one of our surgeons. This consultation can take place virtually or face to face depending on your preference.
Your consultation and any tests that your surgeon may recommend are focused entirely on understanding the cause of your symptoms. Only in this way can we predict whether a surgical procedure will resolve the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing.
The tests we undertake will vary according to your symptoms but in all cases are likely to include a gastroscopy and reflux study. Depending on the situation we may recommend a Bravo study that measures reflux without the need for a catheter or an impedance test that measures both acidic and non-acidic reflux. Prior to surgery we always recommend assessing oesophageal function with high resolution manometry.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of LPR (silent reflux) it is possible that other tests will be needed also.
If you have already had some or all of these tests performed elsewhere, possibly in the NHS, we will make use of these wherever possible. However sometimes these can be undertaken using old techniques or we think should be repeated. If necessary we can arrange them for you.
We will only recommend surgery when we can make a clear connection between your symptoms and your physiology and are confident it will help you.
The decision on your eligibility for surgery will be taken by your surgeon, but only after your case has been reviewed by a wider group of experts. We call this an MDT (multi-disciplinary team). In this way we ensure that every patient gets the personalised attention and treatment that they need.
Once we are satisfied that you would benefit from surgery, your surgeon will explain the surgical options available to you together with the full implications of each. With this information, and with our support, you can make the final decision on whether or not to proceed.
