laparoscopic surgery for acid reflux

What is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?

GERD is a condition that happens when some of your stomach juices flow back into your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth with your stomach). It is a very common condition. Many adults in the United States have heartburn or GERD at least once a month.
Heartburn can be a harsh, burning sensation in the area between your ribs or just below your neck. You might also feel it in your chest, throat or neck. Other symptoms can include vomiting, feeling food or liquid coming back up into your throat or mouth, trouble swallowing, and coughing or wheezing often.
When you eat, food travels from your mouth to your stomach through a tube called the esophagus. You have a small ring of muscle at the lower end of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. This valve opens to let food into the stomach and then closes behind it. Normally, this valve closes immediately after you swallow. This keeps the stomach juices, which contain a lot of acid, from flowing backwards into the esophagus.