Forty percent of adults in the United States suffer from GERD. In this condition, stomach acid surges up into the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach, causing heartburn and damaging the lining of the esophagus.

Lifelong medical treatment and lifestyle changes can help control acid reflux and erosion of the esophageal wall, but many patients need surgery to eradicate the problem. The traditional surgical approach requires a large incision in the chest or abdomen and results in post-operative pain for several months.

The team at the University's Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery has been using a less invasive approach: They insert smaller instruments through several pencil-sized incisions to perform the same surgical procedure. Patients who undergo minimally invasive anti-reflux surgery can go home the next day and typically return to work a week later.

Now the team is investigating the use of robotic surgery to further improve the procedure's safety and effectiveness. During robotic surgery, the surgeon sits at a computer console near the patient and manipulates virtual instruments. The robotic arms filter out any hand tremors and can scale down the surgeon's larger movements.

"The robotic system allows me to combine my expertise as a surgeon with the smooth, intricate movements of a robot," said Nathaniel J. Soper, M.D., professor of surgery and director of the institute.

Patients who enroll in the study will be randomly assigned to receive either robotic anti-reflux surgery or non-robotic minimally invasive surgery.