New NHS heartburn surgery means man can ‘eat whatever he wants’ this Christmas

“I’ll have so much pork tenderloin on the side of dinner that I wouldn’t have eaten last year,” Jeff Cohen said. Acid had been rising from his stomach for so long that it impaired the normal contractions of the muscles in his intestines, but he underwent a new surgical procedure.

A man with heartburn so bad he sometimes regurgitated his food has finally been cured with a “revolutionary” new surgical procedure.

Jeff Cohen had trouble swallowing more than a mouthful or two because the acid had been building up in his stomach for so long that it impaired the normal contractions of the muscles in the esophagus or intestine.

She told Sky News it made eating unpleasant, especially in public.

“It would sit there, heavy on my chest, like a lock,” she said.

“But now I can eat without worry. The food goes straight down, like normal.”

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Mr. Cohen was one of the first patients NHS To implement a device called RefluxStop.

Surgeons at Imperial College Healthcare’s St Mary’s Hospital sewed the tiny cube of medical-grade silicone into a pouch on the outside of the stomach in a keyhole procedure that took more than an hour.

The device holds the stomach and esophagus in their proper positions so that the muscular valve between them can function normally to allow food to pass through, but to stop acid from leaking out.

Mr Ahmed Ahmed, a consultant surgeon at the hospital, said the technique addresses the underlying cause of severe heartburn or acid reflux.

“In most people with reflux, the main problem is that the valve that stops acid from going up into the throat is in the wrong position.

“That’s what causes you to have reflux every day.

“In the new procedure, we put the valve back in the correct position, and then implant the RefluxStop to support the natural anatomy.”

Other surgical techniques tighten the bottom of the esophagus to stop acid from leaking from the stomach, but that can make swallowing difficult, especially in patients like Jeff who have problems.

“For them, this [new procedure] it is revolutionary because they will now be considered for surgery,” said Mr Ahmed.

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Heartburn affects a quarter of all adults in the UK, with overindulgence during the festive season a common trigger.

According to NHS Digital, the latest christmas one person viewed their online tips every 13 seconds.

Anyone with symptoms that last more than three or four weeks should see a doctor, as the acid can lead to a condition that can lead to cancer.

Mild symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications to neutralize the acid. But prescription drugs may be necessary for more severe cases.

Mr Ahmed said surgery should now be seen as an alternative to lifelong drug treatment.

Jeff is now looking forward to the festive season for the first time in many years.

“I’ll be able to eat whatever I want this Christmas,” he said.

“I’ll have so many pork blankets on the side of dinner that I wouldn’t have eaten last year.

“I can continue with my daily life and I couldn’t do that before.”