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Fresh start for teen Alex
DOCTORS in Sheffield have carried out a world first operation to cure a teenager of a debilitating digestive disorder.
Alex Harding, aged 15, was born with a chronic acid reflux disease which causes problems such as heartburn, asthma, chronic coughing and difficulty sleeping.
Sufferers are born with a fault in the part of the digestive system where the oesophagus meets the stomach, causing food and liquid to travel back up the tube instead of staying in the stomach.
But thanks to the pioneering skills of doctors at Sheffield Children's Hospital Alex, from Worrall, has now been cured of his gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
After undergoing keyhole surgery the keen hockey player can now, for the first time, enjoy a normal teenage life, free of the need to take medication, and able to sleep better and enjoy sport.
His mum Bernie said: "The difference in Alex is incredible. When we heard about this new type of procedure we were a bit cautious at first, as it had not been carried out on any other child. But the recovery time was next to nothing and it took only a few days before he was back playing ice hockey and eating and drinking fine."
The procedure involved placing an endoscope with a camera and a stitching device attached through the mouth to the bottom of the gullet.
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Weather for Sheffield
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
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