During the past year, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick (RWJUH) has become the first in the region to offer a surgically implanted device aimed at eliminating acid reflux for patients who continue to struggle with gastrointestinal issues.
The device, known as the Linx, is a magnetic ring placed around the lower esophagus to help prevent acid reflux.
Last year, Middletown resident David Mackrell began searching for a better solution to the acid reflux issues he had struggled with for years. He had experienced flu-like symptoms due to his acid reflux, including sinus infections, sore throat, and headaches.
After failed attempts to control his symptoms through dieting, sleep position adjustments, and medication, Mackrell decided to reach out to Dr. Ragui Sadek from RWJUH to learn more about a more effective solution.
“The Linx is an important step forward for RWJUH in assisting patients like David who suffer from debilitating symptoms of acid reflux,” said Sadek, director of Bariatric Surgery at the hospital. “Prior to this advancement in technology, patients with this condition were only given two options, surgical repair or medication. The Linx has helped to bridge that gap, providing a quick, minimally-invasive procedure that eliminates symptoms of acid reflux without medication or advanced surgery.”
Unlike many other facilities that offer the Linx procedure, RWJUH’s use of the EndoFLIP device to more effectively place the Linx is a unique and highly technical approach. The EndoFLIP is a probe inserted into the esophagus of the patient prior to Linx placement in order to scientifically measure what size and where the device should be positioned. With both of these technologies now available to patients with acid reflux, RWJUH has become the highest performing facility in the Northeast for this innovative solution.
“This procedure has honestly changed my life,” Mackrell said. “At first, I was afraid to stop my medication because I did not want my symptoms to return. The sinus issues, coughing and fatigue I spent years tackling had always returned rapidly without medication. Yet, after the Linx procedure, I quickly realized that this was the solution I had been looking for all along. I now no long need medication to control my acid reflux, and I have begun to enjoy my life again.”
To learn more about RWJUH, visit www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow on Twitter at twitter.com/rwjuh and Facebook at www.facebook.com/RWJUH.
