Johnson&Johnson called for a symposium and the gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) specialists came. Also present was Professor Dr.med. Jörg Zehetner, who enjoys an exceptionally good reputation both in science and in the clinic as a globally recognised expert in minimally invasive surgical reflux methods.

Johnson&Johnson called for a symposium and the gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) specialists came. Also present was Professor Dr.med. Jörg Zehetner, who enjoys an exceptionally good reputation both in science and in the clinic as a globally recognised expert in minimally invasive surgical reflux methods.

The symposium was all about gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, which often causes persistent or recurrent acid regurgitation, severe heartburn or unpleasant burning in the stomach in its chronic course and thus complicates patients’ everyday lives. A proven method for surgical intervention is the LINX Reflux System, which has now been used in the clinic for ten years. This is a small chain consisting mainly of titanium-coated magnets that is placed around the end of the oesophagus in a minimally invasive procedure. With this system, the regurgitation of gastric acid is prevented, while all other physiological functions such as food intake, regurgitation of air or even vomiting remain unhindered by the LINX system.

Dr. Jörg Zehetner is one of the top 5 reflux specialists in Europe and is one of the nine leading experts in the field at Johnson&Johnson. These alone were good reasons to invite Dr Zehetner to speak at the symposium in Hamburg. In front of more than 85 participants, the specialist explained the excellent possibilities of LINX in his lecture and continued these thoughts in the workshop “Complex cases and complication management in reflux surgery”.

For those who do not know what to make of the abbreviation EMEA, please note: EMEA stands for “Europe, Middle East, Africa” and thus summarises the regions in which Johnson&Johnson is particularly involved with its expertise and products such as the LINX Reflux System. Of course, the commitment also extends to the global arena and supports the scientific and practical efforts of the respective medical experts.

For Dr Jörg Zehetner as well as for the other participants at the 1st EMEA GERD Symposium in Hamburg, the occasion was a good reason to gather the best and latest experiences in reflux surgery and thus define further standards for the benefit of patients.

In the attached picture spread, we show the best moments of the intensive work at the EMEA GERD Symposium 2019 in Hamburg.