Esophagus & Stomach Surgery
Esophagus Surgery in Dubai: Specialist Care for Reflux, Swallowing Problems and Cancer
Problems with the food pipe rarely fix themselves. Persistent heartburn, food sticking on the way down, or an esophageal cancer diagnosis all need a surgeon who works on this part of the gut every week. Dr Arindam Ghosh has 25+ years of experience, 12,000+ gastrointestinal procedures, and 400 plus gastroesophageal surgeries behind him, across three hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah.
25+ years
operating on the GI tract
12,000+ procedures
across the digestive system
FACS
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
Conditions
Esophageal conditions we treat
The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus) is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. When its lining, its muscle, or the valve at its lower end stops working properly, the effects range from daily discomfort to a life-threatening tumour. These are the conditions seen most often in clinic.
Acid reflux and GERD
Stomach acid flowing back up the food pipe, causing heartburn, regurgitation and a burning chest. Left untreated for years, it can damage the lining.
Hiatal hernia
Part of the stomach pushing up through the diaphragm. It weakens the anti-reflux barrier and often drives stubborn GERD symptoms.
Achalasia
A motility disorder where the lower esophageal muscle fails to relax, so food and liquid pool above it and swallowing becomes difficult.
Barrett's esophagus
A change in the lining caused by long-standing reflux. It carries a raised cancer risk, so it needs monitoring rather than being ignored.
Strictures and rings
Narrowing from acid damage, Schatzki's rings or scarring after corrosive injury, all of which make solid food catch or stick.
Esophageal cancer
Adenocarcinoma near the stomach junction or squamous cell carcinoma higher up. Early surgery offers the best chance of controlling the disease.
Symptoms
Signs that point to the esophagus
One symptom on its own may be harmless. Several together, or any that keep coming back, are worth a proper look.
- Heartburn or acid taste that returns most days or wakes you at night.
- Food sticking or a feeling that meals move down slowly (dysphagia).
- Regurgitation of undigested food or sour fluid into the mouth.
- Chest or upper abdominal pain linked to eating, once the heart has been cleared.
- Chronic cough, hoarseness or a sore throat that no chest doctor can explain.
- Unintended weight loss or eating less because swallowing has become an effort.
Causes & risk
What raises the risk
Some esophageal problems come from mechanical weakness, such as a hiatal hernia or a valve that no longer seals. Others build up over years of irritation. Common contributors include:
- Long-standing acid reflux, which inflames the lining and can lead to Barrett's changes.
- Smoking and heavy alcohol use, both strongly linked to squamous cell cancer.
- Obesity, which increases pressure on the stomach and worsens reflux.
- Diet and eating habits, including very hot drinks, large late meals and rapid eating.
- Previous corrosive injury from swallowing caustic substances, accidental or deliberate.
- Age and family history, which shift the odds even when lifestyle is careful.
Diagnosis
How esophageal conditions are diagnosed
A clear diagnosis comes before any talk of surgery. Most patients need only one or two of these tests, chosen to answer a specific question about the food pipe.
1
Endoscopy and biopsy
A thin camera passed through the mouth looks directly at the lining and takes tissue samples. This is the main tool for reflux damage, Barrett's and tumours, and it sits within our wider endoscopy and diagnostic service.
2
Barium swallow
A contrast X-ray that shows narrowing, pouches and how smoothly liquid travels down, useful for strictures and achalasia.
3
Manometry and pH study
Pressure and acid measurements that confirm how the muscle and valve behave, key before any anti-reflux or achalasia surgery.
4
CT, PET and staging
For confirmed cancer, scans map the depth of the tumour and any spread, so the team can plan the safest sequence of treatment.
Treatment
Treatment options, from medication to surgery
Not every esophageal problem ends in the operating theatre. Mild reflux often settles with medication and lifestyle change. Surgery becomes the right answer when symptoms resist treatment, when a hernia or stricture is mechanical, or when cancer needs to be removed. The main surgical options are set out below.
Anti-reflux and hiatal hernia surgery
When medication no longer controls GERD, or a patient does not want to depend on tablets for life, the valve can be rebuilt. Fundoplication wraps the top of the stomach around the lower esophagus to restore the barrier, usually as a Nissen or Toupet wrap done through keyhole incisions. A hiatal hernia is repaired at the same time. For selected patients a transoral incisionless approach avoids external cuts altogether. This work overlaps closely with our dedicated reflux and GERD surgery service.
Surgery for achalasia and strictures
Achalasia is treated by releasing the tight lower muscle, a laparoscopic Heller cardiomyotomy, so the esophagus can empty again. Narrowed segments and rings can often be widened with endoscopic dilatation, and awkward blockages held open with a stent when surgery is not the first step.
Esophagectomy for cancer
Removing the affected part of the food pipe, an esophagectomy, remains the core curative treatment for esophageal cancer. The diseased segment and nearby lymph nodes are taken out through a Lewis-Tanner (Ivor Lewis) or McKeown approach with a two-field lymphadenectomy, then the digestive tract is rebuilt so swallowing can continue. As an experienced esophagus cancer surgeon, Dr Ghosh plans each case alongside oncology, and this sits within his broader GI cancer surgery practice.
Esophageal replacement
When a long segment is destroyed by cancer, severe stricture or corrosive injury, a new conduit is built from the stomach (a gastric pull-up) or from a length of colon (colonic interposition). These are demanding operations that reward a surgeon who does them regularly and has a team ready for complex cases.
Talk it through
Not sure which of these applies to you? A single consultation can put a name to your symptoms and a plan in your hands.
Technique
Minimally invasive and robotic esophageal surgery
Most esophageal and anti-reflux operations here are done through small incisions rather than a large open wound. As a certified robotic surgeon and one of the first licensed consultant GI surgeons in the UAE, Dr Ghosh uses laparoscopic and robotic surgery where they genuinely help. For patients that usually means:
- Less pain and smaller scars than open surgery
- Shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal life
- Precise dissection around the lymph nodes in cancer cases
- Open surgery still available when a case genuinely calls for it
When surgery helps, and the cost of waiting
Surgery is usually the right call when
- Medication no longer controls reflux, or you want off long-term tablets
- A hiatal hernia, stricture or achalasia is mechanical and progressive
- Biopsy confirms cancer or high-grade Barrett's changes
- Swallowing is failing and weight is dropping
Delaying treatment can mean
- Reflux damage progressing toward Barrett's and cancer risk
- A small, removable tumour growing into an advanced one
- Nutrition suffering as eating becomes harder
- A simpler keyhole option turning into major open surgery
Recovery
Recovery, diet and life after surgery
What to expect depends on the operation. A keyhole anti-reflux repair often means one or two nights in hospital and a return to desk work within a couple of weeks. A cancer esophagectomy is bigger, with a longer stay and a staged return to eating. Diet moves forward gradually, and the clinic guides you through each step.
-
First days
Clear and free fluids
Sips build up to free fluids as the join and the swelling settle, with pain kept under control.
-
Weeks 1 to 3
Soft and pureed food
Small, frequent, soft meals. Eating slowly and sitting upright afterward keeps things comfortable.
-
Weeks 3 to 6
Back to solids
Most foods return gradually. Portions stay smaller than before, especially after reflux or cancer surgery.
-
Ongoing
Review and follow-up
Planned checks confirm healing, watch nutrition, and, in cancer care, keep an eye on the longer term.
Self-care
Lifestyle changes that protect your esophagus
These habits help before surgery, reduce the chance of ever needing it, and support recovery afterward.
- Eat earlier and lighter at night, and avoid lying down within three hours of a meal.
- Raise the head of the bed so gravity keeps acid where it belongs overnight.
- Cut back on triggers, often coffee, fatty or fried food, spicy meals and fizzy drinks.
- Stop smoking and moderate alcohol, the two habits most tied to esophageal cancer.
- Lose excess weight, which takes pressure off the stomach and eases reflux.
For patients whose symptoms are still mild, our guide to managing acid reflux without surgery goes into more detail on diet and daily routine.
Access & logistics
Insurance and international patients
Major UAE insurers accepted
The practice works with DAMAN, BUPA Arabia, AXA Gulf and Oman Insurance, alongside self-pay. The team helps check what your policy covers before you commit.
Support for patients travelling in
Patients come from across the GCC, South Asia and Europe for complex GI surgery. Medical visa and travel support makes the journey and the paperwork easier.
Consultations are held at Emirates Hospital Jumeirah, Emirates Speciality Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City, and NMC Royal Hospital in Sharjah, so care is within reach whether you are in Dubai, Sharjah or arriving from abroad.
Why patients choose Dr Arindam Ghosh
25+
Years of GI surgery
12,000+
Procedures performed
400+
Gastroesophageal surgeries
FACS
American College of Surgeons
A consultant gastrointestinal, colorectal and laparoscopic surgeon, and one of the first licensed consultant GI surgeons in the UAE, Dr Ghosh handles the whole food pipe from reflux through to complex cancer under one specialist, from diagnosis to surgery to follow-up.
FAQ
Common questions about esophagus surgery
Do I need surgery for acid reflux, or can medication handle it?
Most reflux is controlled with medication and lifestyle change. Surgery is considered when tablets stop working, when symptoms return the moment you stop them, or when a hiatal hernia is driving the problem. A consultation and a few tests will show which group you fall into.
Is esophageal cancer curable?
It depends heavily on the stage at diagnosis. When the cancer is found early and removed completely, surgery offers a real chance of cure. In more advanced cases, chemotherapy before surgery can improve outcomes, and even when cure is not possible, treatment can control the disease and protect quality of life. This is why acting on early symptoms matters so much.
How long is recovery after esophageal surgery?
A keyhole anti-reflux operation usually means one to two nights in hospital and a return to light activity within a couple of weeks. A cancer esophagectomy is a larger procedure with a longer hospital stay and a staged return to eating over several weeks. Your surgeon will give you a timeline specific to your operation.
What can I eat after the operation?
Diet moves forward in stages: clear and free fluids first, then soft and pureed food, then a gradual return to solids over three to six weeks. Meals stay smaller and more frequent than before, particularly after reflux or cancer surgery. The clinic gives you a written plan and reviews it as you heal.
Will the surgery be minimally invasive?
Wherever it is safe, yes. Most anti-reflux and many cancer procedures are done laparoscopically or with robotic assistance, which means smaller scars, less pain and a faster recovery. Open surgery is still used when a particular case calls for it, and that decision is always explained to you first.
What happens if I delay treatment?
Waiting rarely improves an esophageal problem. Reflux damage can progress toward Barrett's changes, a small and removable tumour can grow into an advanced one, and nutrition suffers as swallowing gets harder. A problem that could have been solved with keyhole surgery can become major open surgery. Early assessment keeps your options open.
Do you accept insurance, and can international patients be treated?
Yes. The practice works with DAMAN, BUPA Arabia, AXA Gulf and Oman Insurance, as well as self-pay patients, and the team helps confirm your cover in advance. Patients travelling from the GCC, South Asia and Europe are welcome, with medical visa and travel support to smooth the trip. Consultations are available in both Dubai and Sharjah.
Get a clear answer about your esophagus
Whether it is stubborn reflux, trouble swallowing, or a cancer diagnosis that needs a plan, an early consultation is the fastest way to know where you stand.
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