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Local Voices

DeKalb Father/Firefighter First Patient to Receive LINX® Reflux Management System Procedure at a Metro Atlanta Hospital

A DeKalb county father of three has a new lease on life thanks to a new groundbreaking surgical procedure to treat his severe reflux or GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease). 41-year-old Demetrice Moore of Lithonia was the first patient to receive the LINX® procedure at a metro-area hospital. Dr. Scott Steinberg of DeKalb Medical’s Heartburn Solutions Center performed Moore’s LINX surgery on March 14; Moore is fully back to his previous active lifestyle and doing well.

The LINX® Reflux Management System is a simple surgical solution for people who suffer from GERD. Moore didn’t know he had GERD until he sought treatment for sudden, severe symptoms that left him unable to eat, sleep or work.  

DeKalb Medical's Heartburn Solutions Center was selected as one of the first Centers nationally to offer the LINX® Reflux Management Device, which is the latest in GERD treatments.

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“We are proud to be the first in metro Atlanta to offer patients in north Georgia an inpatient, full-service hospital experience for their LINX surgery,” said Pam Briggs, RN, Clinical Coordinator, DeKalb Medical Heartburn Solutions Center. “This ground-breaking system, coupled with our advanced surgical team and hospital expertise, gives patients new hope for GERD management.”

The LINX® Reflux Management System was approved by the FDA in 2012. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a chronic, often progressive disease resulting from a weak Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES). A weak LES allows acid and bile to reflux from the stomach up into the esophagus. The LINX® System from Torax Medical is a small flexible band of interlinked titanium beads with magnetic cores. The magnetic attraction between the beads is intended to help the LES resist opening to gastric pressures, preventing reflux from the stomach into the esophagus.

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The band of beads, which looks like a metal “bracelet,” was placed around Moore’s esophagus just above his stomach using a common, minimally-invasive surgical technique called laparoscopy. Patients are placed under general anesthesia during the procedure, which generally lasts less than an hour. The LINX® System does not require any anatomic alteration of the stomach.

Moore, a firefighter and entrepreneur, was able to go home a day after surgery and resumed normal eating habits almost immediately after the procedure. “I think if someone is suffering from acid reflux and GERD, I think they should definitely look at having LINX surgery because it will significantly improve the situation. It did for me,” said Moore.   

Watch a complete video about Moore’s case here: http://bit.ly/U7uUI6 and a short video about the surgery here: http://bit.ly/1lPExFY 

 

 

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