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Success rates of surgical therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease vary widely. A high rate of postoperative disease recidivism also is seen, and complications are common, especially after surgeries performed by inexperienced physicians. The goal of surgical therapy is to reconstruct the normal anatomy of the esophagogastric junction and reestablish a normal length and pressure gradient. Now, researchers have assessed the efficacy of a magnetic sphincter device in treating GERD.
The device is an expansible bracelet of magnetic beads that is surgically placed around the exterior surface of the distal esophagus near the esophagogastric junction (EGJ). Peristaltic swallowing forces the beads apart, allowing food to pass; the magnetic beads t…