E TO BRING YOU
THESE LIVE PICTURES ASTUTENESS
OUR SKY FOR PILOT IS VERY CLEAR
YOU KNOW THE FEELING, ACID
STOMACH, HEARTBURN,
INDIGESTION, IF YOU SUFFER
THOSE SYMPTOMS YOU ARE NOT
ALONE.
35 TO 70 MILLION AMERICANS WHO
SUFFER HEARTBURN, THERE ARE
SIDE EFFECTS TO TAKING
ANTACIDS.
THE LINKS PROCEDURE AS A
SOLUTION TO HELPING PERMANENTLY
RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, JOINING US
THIS MORNING DOCTOR MICHAEL
BATISTA WHICH MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL.
30 MILLION 70 MILLION PEOPLE
SUFFER FROM THIS, THEY MIGHT
RUN NOT REALIZE HAD BAD THIS IS
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF TAKING AN
ANTACID EVERY NIGHT THIS COULD
BE A SIGN OF ACID REFLUX?
>> CORRECT.
WE HAVE THE USUAL HEARTBURN
PEOPLE COMPLAINED BUT WE HAVE
OTHER SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ASTHMA
HOARSENESS, CONSTANT UPPER
RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH REFLUX.
>> LOOKED INTERESTING AS YOU
PHONE THE PATIENT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE HERE STUCK IN
THAT TERRIBLE TRAFFIC ALONG 295
SHE WAS SUFFERING AND HAS BEEN
SUFFERING FROM THIS SENSUOUS 10
YEARS OLD, THERE'S SIDE EFFECTS
FROM CONSTANTLY TAKING AN
ANTACID.
>> MEDICATIONS, NORMALLY
PATIENTS GO OVER THE COUNTER,
THEN THEY SEE THE PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIAN WHO PRESCRIBES
SOMETHING BETTER.
THEN THEY GO A FEW YEARS MORE
AND END UP WITH A
GASTROENTEROLOGIST.THEY HAVE
TWO THINGS IN COMMON THEY
PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR THE
ACID, BUT THEY DO NOT THE
REFLUX, THERE'S ANTI-ACID NOT
ANTI-REFLUX.
KIDNEY PROBLEMS, THE LIST
GOES ON.
>> IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT
CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE THE LINING
OF THESOPHAGUS.
I WAS READING THAT THERE COULD
BE AN INCREASE OF ESOPHAGEAL
CANCER BY LIKE 600 PERCENT IF
YOU'RE CONSTANTLY TAKING THIS
KIND OF MEDICATION.
>> CORRECT.
SINCE THE 1970S.
CANCER INCREASE 600 PERCENT.
NOW WE MASS.
WE MAKE THE PATIENT FEEL NOT
MUCH OF THE ACID.
WHAT'S WORSE FOR THE LINING OF
THE ESOPHAGUS IS WEAK ACID
REFLUX WHEREBY OURSELVES, WE
ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO SEEK WHAT
ELSE CAN BDONE.
CAN'T GO ON TAKING MEDICATION,
IT'S NOT DESIGNED TO BE TAKEN
DAILY AND CHRONICALLY.
>> THAT'S THE KEY.
THERE'S A PROCEDURE CALLED THE
LINKS PROCEDURE.
IT'S JUST THIS SMALL TITANIUM
RING.
>> YES.
IT'S A VERY NICE RING, IT'S A
METAL TITANIUM INSIDE ITS
MAGNETS.
THE MAGNETS ATTRACT ITSELF SO
WHEN THE ACID REFLUX TRIES TO
GO IT GENERATES ABOUT 15
MILLIGRAMS OF PRESSION MORE
THAN THACID.
TO KEEP THE ACID WHERE YOU NEED
WHICH IS IN THE STOMACH.
WHEN YOU SWALLOW SOMETHING, THE
SWALLOW FORCE IS GREATER THAN
THE MAGNETS AND IT WILL OPEN
AND CLOSE.
IT'S REALLY INGENIOUS.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT SIZE,
CUSTOMIZE FOR THE SIZE OF THE
ESOPHAGUS.
AND HOLDS THE ACID WHERE WE
NEED.
>> WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME VIDEO
OF THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE AND
WHERE THIS GOES, DOES IT TAKE A
LONG TIME IN TERMS OF THE
SURGERY, AS IT AN OUTPATIENT
PROCEDURE AND HOW LONG IS
RECOVERY?
>> WDO SPIRALS COPTIC,
PATIENTS CAN GO HOME THE SAME
DAY.
THEY NEED PHYSICALTHERAPY, AND
THE PHYSICAL THERAPY IS EATING.
YOU JUST HAVE TEAT.
PATIENTS HAVE RELIEF OF THE
ACID IMMEDIATELY.
>> WHEN DO YOU EVER HAVE A
SURGICAL PROCEDURE AND THEY
TELL YOU TO EAT IT SO
INTERESTING.
WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK TO GET
FROM PATIENTS ABOUT THEIR
QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER THIS
PROCEDURE?
>> IF YOU IMAGINE SOMEONE WHO
HAS TRIED EVERYTHING UNDER THE
SUN FOR REFLUX AND NOW THEY NO
LONGER HAVE TO TAKE ANYTHING
COME OF THE MEDICATION, LET ME
JUST GIVE YOU STRAIGHT, IT'S
NOT 100%. IT'S 80 TO 90%
SUCCESSFUL.
WHERE PATIENTS STOPPED TAKING
ALL ANTIACID MEDICATION.
SEVERAL PATIENTS CAN SLEEP, WE
CAN MINIMIZE THE EXPOSURE OF