After Japan, AIG performs first oesophagus valve operation in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Asian Institute of Gastroenterology has for the first time outside Japan implanted an artificial valve that prevents acid from the stomach from entering the oesophagus and causing acid reflux.

This is being offered as an advanced treatment for severe gastro oesophageal reflux. The AIG performed the implantation on a Ms K Amulu, 30, a nurse at the Tirupati government hospital, on December 20. The artificial valve treatment was first carried out in 2010 by Prof. Haro Innoue in the Tokyo University.

Following that, there have been more 40 patients who have have been treated. The success rate in these treatments was almost 99 per cent. The treatment called ARMS (anti-reflux mucosectomy) is an endoscopic technique where the valve is fixed within half-an-hour.

Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, managing director of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, said: ?There is a natural valve present in the body between the stomach and the oesophagus. But due to acid reflux the valve gets damaged or becomes loose.

Prolonged use of medicines has shown side-effects. There is a need to treat this problem more effectively, and the valve was found to be a better substitute. The procedure of inserting the valve took 28 minutes. The techniques have been modified to suit Indian patients where the cost is 1/10 of that in Japan.

The treatment cost in India is Rs 40,000 per patient. It can also be done as an out-patient procedure and the patient is discharged by the evening after the treatment.