Does weight loss surgery help relieve acid reflux?

Individuals who are obese often experience heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux. Previous research indicates that gastric bypass surgery for obesity helps alleviate symptoms in the short term, but a new study finds that these benefits often are not long-lasting.

In the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics study of 2454 patients (mostly women) who had surgery for obesity and who were also taking medicines for acid reflux, symptoms of acid reflux improved in most patients shortly after surgery, but they returned in almost half of all patients within 2 years. Symptoms were more likely to return in women, older individuals, and those with other serious medical problems.

"Physicians and patients should be aware of the limited effect of gastric bypass on reflux in patients with severe obesity, particularly in those with risk factors for post operative reflux," the authors wrote.