Surgery beneficial in heartburn

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People with persistent heartburn should be considered for early surgery to prevent a lifetime of popping pills, NHS research suggests, reports BBC.
A year after keyhole surgery, only 14 per cent of patients were still taking medication, compared with 90 per cent of those treated with drugs alone.
The £1m trial of 800 patients suggests surgery should be done more routinely in patients with chronic acid reflux.
Experts said there was a view among GPs that surgery was "too extreme".
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen co-ordinated the trial of laparoscopic fundoplication at 21 hospitals around the UK.
For some people, it is a serious problem which could potentially mean a lifetime of tablet taking Professor Roger Jones, King's College London
The results so far suggest the procedure, although expensive at £2000 per patient, is cost-effective because reflux sufferers no longer have to take medication and their quality of life improves.
The operation involves wrapping a piece of the stomach around the oesophagus to create a new valve to prevent acid backing up from the stomach.
It used to be done by opening up the chest cavity, but with the advent of keyhole surgery is now a lot safer.
Reflux is a very common condition with 20% of the population experiencing it at some point in their lives.