Dr. Clarke says he found that about one-third of his patients with heartburn didn't get better on proton-pump inhibitors, or have evidence of acid reflux, but in virtually every case, they had severe stress in their lives.

WSJ: Why Your Heartburn Drugs Don't Work

An analysis of 10 studies involving a total of 393 patients, published earlier this year in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, found between 26% and 83% of patients getting the new surgery were able to stop taking proton-pump inhibitors.

WSJ: New Surgical Option for Heartburn

If your heartburn doesn't go away, or if you have other symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, see a doctor, who will probably prescribe one of the so-called proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid).

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