Nissen Fundoplication- Heartburn can significantly impair a person’s quality of life. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart; symptoms are caused by stomach acid that backs up (refluxes) into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

A person with GERD and a hiatal hernia generally has more severe reflux and symptoms that are difficult to control with medication and lifestyle changes. When lifestyle changes and/or medication fail to relieve symptoms, a surgical procedure called Nissen fundoplication is used to correct the condition.