I have Acid Reflux....Has anyone had surgery

[cnrage]

for this?? I'm 28 years old and have had acid reflux for years. I got on Prevacid and Nexium when I was around 24 years old and it really helped clear up my symptoms. I also tried changing my eating habits some and elevating my bed. Anyways, I had an X ray at 24 and they told me I did not have Barret's esophagus but to follow up with an endoscopy at around 30 years old. My question is this....does Prevacid and other proton pump inhibitors heal your esophagus and prevent the development of Barrets? Or does it just mask the damage somehow? I would at some point like to get the surgery to fix my problem (hiatel hernia) but have heard this just screws people up worse sometimes. I don't want to have to be on medicine for this issue for the rest of my life. Any suggestions for people in this same situation?

[Dep.]

I had the same problem around the same age as you and when the "purple pill" stopped working for me, I went in for the surgery. First of all.. those medications help the esophogus heal itself by stopping the production of the acid that causes the lesions and burns the esophogus. Without those acids present, the esophogus can heal itself.The surgery I had was lapriscopic - minimally invasive. They went in through 5 fmall incisions in the abdomen area. I had the surgery about 8 years ago and haven't so much as had to take a Tums since. It's been great.For me... my operation was to tighten the esophogeal sphincter muscle with a stomach wrap. I don't know what your problem is or what they would have to do, but I'm sure whatever it is - it's much better now than it was 8 years ago and mine worked out great.