A new device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is now in the second phase of clinical trials, in which the Keck School participates as well as serves as a training center for other institutions.

For a number of years, John Lipham, assistant professor of surgery, and Tom DeMeester, professor of surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, have been working on alternative ways to treat GERD.

“Reflux is known to cause adenocarcinoma of the esophagus,” said Lipham. “Over the last 25 years, we have seen somewhere between a 400 and 600 percent increase in reflux caused esophageal cancer.”

Traditionally, reflux disease is treated using a surgical procedure called a Nissen fundoplication, which involves recreating a sphincter—a muscle that constricts and relaxes as required for normal physiological functioning—at the end of the esophagus.

According to Lipham, USC has an approximately 90 percent success rate with entirely stopping the reflux.

“Although the success rates of the surgery are good, there are problems associated with this procedure,” said Lipham. “One of the biggest problems is that it prevents the ability to belch or vomit and patients experience severe bloating and gas problems.”

But with new technology called the Linx Reflux Management System, now being used in the department of surgery, the treatment of reflux disease has improved. The device is like a bracelet made up of magnetic beads implanted around the end of the esophagus where the lower esophageal sphincter is located. The lower esophageal sphincter is the valve that prevents reflux, and GERD develops when this valve is weakened.

The new device is designed to augment the native sphincter and return it to a competent valve. The magnetic beads open with a given pressure, allowing patients to belch, vomit and swallow normally. By allowing patients to belch normally, the device allows air to escape from the stomach, preventing the gas and bloating issues.

“This is a much simpler procedure,” said Lipham. “There is much less surgery involved to implant the device, making patient recovery quicker.”

The Keck School was one of only two institutions in the United States to participate in the first phase of the Linx Reflux Management System clinical trial. According to Lipham, the trial showed excellent results with an approximate 75 percent success rate.

For more information on reflux disease, please call (323) 442-6814.