North College Hill's David Puckett knows what it's like to suffer from reflux disease. For five years he was on medicine to prevent mouthfuls of stomach juices from coming up and interfering with his daily life. He also had to watch what he ate and when he ate it.
Then David heard about a new device called LINX.
The titanium beads allow patients to swallow food but they tighten around the esophagus to prevent the acid from coming back up. Here's how the outpatient procedure works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlWq4b5OqiM&list=UUgCBMYU8_ienSPA1PoRfhmw&index=11
Puckett had the surgery and is singing its praises. "They told me right after surgery to stop the Nexium and I haven't had any problems with it since and that was back in July."
Dr. Valerie Williams was Puckett's surgeon at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. She explains why the device works. "You have to generate more pressure from your stomach to overcome that barrier if you were to create reflux...it's really very simple in principle."
Williams says LINX is not for everyone. You can't have nickel or metal allergies and you can't be overweight.
