A 45-minute procedure recently introduced in Calcutta promises to cure acid reflux, a common gastrointestinal problem.

Stretta, a minimally invasive procedure, involves inserting a catheter over a wire into the stomach and sending radio frequency current through four needles attached to it to repair the valve responsible for the reflux.

Acid reflux is a condition marked by mucosal damage caused by acid flowing in the opposite direction through the gastrointestinal system.

Normally, the food and acid flow downward into the stomach from the esophagus. But in people with acid reflux, the acid flows upward from the stomach into the esophagus, causing symptoms like heartburn, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, lack of appetite, hoarseness of voice and even bronchial asthma (caused by acid entering the lungs).

A valve placed between the stomach and the esophagus allows food only to go down. The valve, however, may start malfunctioning, causing reflux. The reasons for malfunctioning may include overeating, obesity, smoking or some congenital problems.

Doctors said 10-20 per cent of the population in India suffers from acid reflux.

Explaining how Stretta works, Mahesh Goenka, the director of Apollo Gleneagles Institute of Gastrosciences, said: "A wire is first sent into the stomach through an endoscope. Once the endoscope is brought out, the catheter is put on the wire and is inserted into the stomach."

The catheter, Goenka said, has a balloon that inflates and comes in contact with the mucosa, the inner lining of the food pipe. "Four needles of nickel titanium come out and through them radio frequency current is passed from a generator. Mild shocks repair the muscles and thus, the valve, to a great extent, reducing acid reflux."

Goenka, who is also president of the Society of GI Endoscopy of India, has performed the procedure a few times. "The procedure lasts 45 minutes and the patient can go home the same day," he said.

In the conventional treatment, a person suffering from acid reflux has to take drugs for a long period or undergo surgery. Doctors say prolonged use of acid blockers has side effects.

Stretta has been performed on around 10,000 patients over the past five years around the world.