Duval County

Jacksonville hospital offers treatment for those struggling with chronic acid reflux

By Alicia Tarancon, Action News Jax
By Alicia Tarancon, Action News Jax

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly 20% of people in the U.S. suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or chronic acid reflux.

These are people who have severe heartburn and pain, making it hard to eat or sleep.

Hope Tallon struggled with chronic acid reflux for 25 years.

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Even drinking a cup of coffee became a challenge and she had to quit.

“It got to the point where it was just too acidic for me. I would feel pain in my stomach, burning coming up to my esophagus,” Tallon said.

She had to cut out her favorite foods, too.

Tallon couldn't eat many of the things we take for granted every day.

“My throat got really fragile so I couldn’t have potato chips,” she said.

Tallon told me she was on several medications for acid reflux and heartburn, but nothing seemed to work anymore.

Her esophagus had eroded and she knew she needed help.

That’s when she found the Baptist Center for Bariatric and Reflux Surgery.

The new center offers people surgeries and procedures that could stop the symptoms altogether.

Doctors say this center is for people with chronic reflux disease who have trouble swallowing, have chest pain or experience persistent heartburn.

Tallon had a new invasive surgery known as the LINX procedure.

“It’s a ring of magnets covered with titanium and when you shallow, it opens and allows food to go down. and when you’re now swallowing it enhances the sphincter and prevents that acid from coming up,” Dr. Craig Morgenthal, a general surgeon with Baptist Health, said.

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Since her surgery, Tallon says her life has returned to normal.

She’s even doing things never thought she’s been able to do.

“I don’t have any diet restrictions, I’m drinking coffee again, back in the gym, I really don’t have that many restrictions, where before I did,” Tallon said.

For more information, you can head to refluxjax.com or call (904) 398-0033.

© 2020 Cox Media Group

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