Esophagus & Stomach Surgery
Esophagus Surgeon in Dubai: Specialist Care for Reflux, Swallowing Problems and Cancer
Health issues with the food pipe require special treatment. If you are having persistent heartburn, swallowing problems, or any other symptoms of esophageal cancer, then you need to consult an experienced surgeon. Dr Arindam Ghosh has over 25 years of experience and has performed over 12,000 gastrointestinal procedures and 400-plus gastroesophageal surgeries 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 which is also spelled “oesophagus” is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. When its lining, muscle, or the valve at its lower end stops working properly, it can cause daily discomfort or a life-threatening tumour. Here are its most common conditions.
Acid Reflux and GERD
Stomach acid that flows back up the food pipe can cause heartburn, regurgitation, and burning in the chest. If it is left untreated for years, it can affect the lining.
Hiatal Hernia
It is the part of the stomach that is pushing up through the diaphragm. This condition can damage the anti-reflux barrier and is also one of the stubborn GERD symptoms.
Achalasia
This is a swallowing disorder where esophageal nerves are damaged, which prevents the lower valve from opening and pushing food into the stomach.
Barrett's Esophagus
The change in the lining occurs due to long-standing reflux and carries a risk of cancer, so it needs immediate attention.
Strictures and Rings
This condition occurs due to narrowing from acid damage, scarring after corrosive injury, or Schatzki’s rings. All of these causes can make solid food stick.
Esophageal Cancer
Adenocarcinoma develops near the stomach junction, and squamous cell carcinoma is one of its histological types. Early surgery offers the best chance of controlling the disease.
Symptoms
Signs that Point to the Esophagus
One symptom could be harmless, but if you are experiencing several symptoms together, then you need a proper medical examination.
- Consistent heartburn or acid taste that makes it difficult to sleep at night.
- Food sticking in the throat or difficulty in swallowing meals (dysphagia).
- Regurgitation of undigested food or sour fluid taste in the mouth.
- Chest or upper abdominal pain linked to eating.
- Chronic cough, sore throat, or hoarseness that chest doctors can not explain.
- Continuous weight loss or less eating because of uncomfortable swallowing.
Causes & risk
What Raises the Risk
Some esophageal issues occur due to mechanical weakness, like valves that no longer seal or a hiatal hernia. Other problems build up over years of irritation. Some common risks include:
- Long-standing acid reflux that inflames the lining and can cause Barrett’s changes.
- Heavy smoking and alcohol consumption are often linked to squamous cell cancer.
- Obesity also increases pressure on the stomach and affects reflux.
- Diet and eating habits, like having large meals late or having hot drinks.
- Any corrosive injury due to accidentally swallowing caustic substances.
- Any past medical history in the family that raises concern even after having a healthy lifestyle.
Diagnosis
How Esophageal Conditions are Diagnosed
A clear diagnosis appear before any surgery. Most patients need only one or two of these tests to check the condition of 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 esophageal stricture and achalasia.
3
Manometry and pH Study
Pressure and acid measurements that confirm how the muscle and valve behave and it is important 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 for Esophagus
Not every esophageal problem ends in the operating theatre. Mild reflux often settles with medication and lifestyle changes. Surgery becomes the right option when symptoms resist treatment, when a hernia or stricture is mechanical, or when cancer needs to be removed. The main surgical options are given 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 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 is still available when a case is genuine
When Surgery Helps and Waiting Costs You
Surgery is Usually the Right Call When
- Medication no longer controls reflux, or you do not need tablets for life
- 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 Means
- Reflux damage progressing toward Barrett's and cancer risk
- A small and 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 you can expect entirely depends on your 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 joint and the swelling settle, with pain kept under control.
- Weeks 1 to 3
Soft and Pureed Food
Small, frequent, and soft meals are recommended after the surgery. Eating slowly and sitting upright afterward keeps things comfortable.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Back to Solids
It takes time to start consuming regular foods. Portions stay smaller than before, especially after reflux or cancer surgery.
- Ongoing
Review and Follow-up
Planned checks confirm healing, monitor nutrition, and help in cancer care. It ensures that everything remains fine in the longer run.
Self-care
Lifestyle Changes that Protect Your Esophagus
These habits reduce the chance of ever needing surgery 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 limit alcohol consuption, as these 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, here is our guide to managing acid reflux without surgery that provides 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 make 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 various food pipe issues from reflux through to complex cancer. Whether it is diagnosis, surgery, or follow-up, you can get everything from one specialist.
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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