Dignity Health | hello Healthy | Winter 2018-2019

HelloHealthy | Winter 2018–2019 7 When surgery becomes necessary For people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who don’t respond well to medical therapy, surgical intervention may be necessary—specifically for those who have stubborn GERD, large hiatal hernias, strictures, precancerous changes, or other esophageal damage. The corrective procedure is called fundoplication, most often associated with hiatal hernia repair. “The hiatal hernia itself is an anatomical defect that needs to be fixed or the symptoms simply won’t go away, even with medical intervention,” says Edward Taylor III, MD. In his history of performing hundreds of fundoplication procedures, Dr. Taylor has seen 92 percent of his patients weaned off PPI therapy within six weeks, and 95 percent report being happy with the results. To learn more about GERD and treatment options at Dignity Health – Mercy and Memorial Hospitals, listen to an interview with Dr. Taylor on our Hello Healthy Podcasts at dignityhealth.org/ bakersfield/podcasts . Stop the burn! If you are experiencing symptoms of GERD, talk to your primary care physician (PCP). If you don’t have a PCP, we can help. Visit dignityhealth.org/ ourdoctors o r call 661.324.7070 .