Correcting Reflux is
All We Do.
Get permanent heartburn and acid reflux relief.
No More Heartburn Meds
Stop taking prescription and OTC drugs that barely put a dent in your symptoms.
Quick and Easy Procedure
One 30-minute outpatient procedure with virtually zero downtime delivers true relief from acid reflux.
Covered by Most Insurances
We’ll take care of the paperwork. You get immediate heartburn relief.
Kicking Heartburn Out Of the Bay Area.
You’ll receive the most state-of-the-art gastroesophageal care available in the world thanks to proven techniques and the most advanced surgical devices.
Am I A Candidate?
Am I A Candidate?
Do I qualify?
Whether you’ve had a little discomfort, or last night’s reflux hasn’t gone away in six months, take this quiz to assess your risk for other things and see if you’re a good candidate for our groundbreaking procedure.
Am I A Candidate?
How it works
Schedule a Free Consult
Dr. Dunn will answer all of your questions in detail and guide you towards your next steps.
Take a Quick Test
Our team will double check everything and ensure you’re a good candidate for the procedure.
Book Your Procedure
Once your results come back, we’ll get you on the schedule so you can eliminate your reflux.
Meet Dr. Colin Dunn
Board-Certified Gastrointestinal Physician
Dr. Colin Dunn is a San Diego native with over 20 years of experience in gastrointestinal care and surgical techniques. He received his undergraduate degree at USCB, his Masters in Medical Sciences at Loyola in Chicago, and completed medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC. He did his General Surgery Residency at Rutgers NJMS and trained under the world leaders in foregut surgery during his fellowship at the Esophageal Institute in Pittsburg. He’s the Bay Area’s expert in upper GI problems.
Am I A Candidate?
What Our Patients Say
Dr Dunn is fantastic! He's logical and concise with an excellent demeanor. I highly recommend him.
Susan Latin
Dr. Colin Dunn and his team were incredibly thorough in explaining my procedures and addressing all my concerns.
Ben Rooke
I was amazed by the care and attention he took to ensure the outcome was not only successful but also very neat and minimally noticeable.
Kaitlyn Lopez
30+
Amazing Statistic
154
Amazing Statistic
45+
Amazing Statistic
100%
Amazing Statistic
Frequently Asked Questions
What symptoms are caused by acid reflux/hiatal hernias?
The esophagus is not meant to be in an acidic environment. When acid and fluid refluxes back up into the esophagus from the stomach, you can feel heartburn (burning and pain below the breastbone).
Sometimes this can cause severe chest pain, called an esophageal spasm (feels like a heart attack). With lots of damage from acid, the esophagus stops squeezing normally so food can get stuck. This is called dysphagia. Sometimes you can have reflux that goes all the way into your mouth (called regurgitation).
You can also have shortness of breath when acid goes down into your wind pipe, causing acute asthma flairs. Some patients have such bad reflux that they have multiple pneumonias which require them to go to the hospital for antibiotics. Large hiatal hernias can sometimes push on the heart, causing shortness of breath or dizziness.
Also, sometimes the stomach can twist on itself up in the chest, causing vomiting and severe pain (gastric volvulus). This is an emergency, where the stomach can die if the patient does not visit the emergency room quickly. Finally, large hiatal hernias can actually damage the inner lining of the stomach, leading to chronic bleeding and anemia. Patients feel exhausted and short of breath because of the bleeding caused by the hernia. These are called Cameron’s ulcers.
If my symptoms are controlled on medications, can’t I just stay on them forever?
Some people do, but there are 3 reasons why you should think about getting off: cost, side-effects, and risk of cancer.
Research has shown that early anti-reflux surgery is cheaper in the long run than paying for multiple medications. Also, there are many associations between these medications and various side effects, such as infections of the colon, kidney stones, osteoporosis, dementia, vitamin deficiencies, weight gain, etc. People who are on these medications long term have higher rates of these problems.
Finally, the medications don’t stop reflux, they just make the reflux not acidic so you don’t feel it. The problem is still there, you are only masking it. Non-acidic reflux (silent reflux) can still put you at risk for certain types of esophageal cancer, as well as pneumonias, asthma flairs, and all of the other problems described above.
What does the procedure actually do?
The procedure fixes the hole in your diaphragm, so the stomach can’t slip up into the chest. It also strengthens the barrier between the esophagus and stomach.
It either does this by wrapping a very small part of the stomach behind the area, or by placing the new LINX device to strengthen the area.
Which version of the procedure is best for me?
This really depends on your discussion with Dr. Dunn in your free consultation. The good news is, each version of the procedure works really well and people are happy afterwards. In fact, nearly everyone ends up recommending the procedure to a friend with the same condition—and when asked 5 years later or more, they still feel like the procedure was an excellent choice.
Will I need to stay in the hospital for this procedure?
Most patients undergoing a laparoscopic anti-reflux procedure prefer to stay in the hospital for 1 day. However, some patients are able to go home on the same day.
Will I have pain after the surgery?
Patients do not feel much pain because the area where the procedure takes place is quite small. Additionally, we do a nerve block during the procedure, which blocks pain for the first 24 hours.
Most patients only require one or two doses of a prescription pain pill, then pain is well managed with just over the counter Tylenol.
What is the recovery like?
Because the procedure takes place over a small area, you will be up and walking around the day after. You can shower normally, but long soaking in a hot tub could cause trouble to the focus sites, so please stay away from hot tubs or swimming for the first 2 weeks.
You will have diet instructions sent to you, but the diet is easy to follow and quickly brings you back to normal within two weeks. We ask that you don’t lift anything greater than 10 pounds for 4 weeks. Otherwise there are no limitations.
What will my diet be like after the procedure?
After your anti-reflux procedure, you will need to follow a modified diet for the first few days. You will discuss all the details with Dr. Dunn during your consultation.
Will my results be permanent?
The goal is for you to never need another procedure, and most patients never need one. There is a rate of recurrence at 10 years out, but even these patients don't have any symptoms. Unless the patient is extremely frail, the surgery will prolong the patient’s life.
Am I A Candidate?
Am I A Candidate?
Get Dr. Dunn's Complete Guide to Reflux Screening and Care
Get a deep dive into heartburn, reflux, GERD, and how early screening can prevent other conditions from developing.
Am I A Candidate?
NorCal Integrity Surgery
SOUTH BAY OFFICE
14911 National Ave
Suite 1
Los Gatos, CA 95032
(408) 688-2149
Monday through Friday
8:00am to 6:00pm
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