It does not have to be tight to do this. For almost all people having this operation heartburn ends immediately. Most people do have some difficulty swallowing afterwards. This usually lasts for about 1 - 3 weeks. The best way to do this operation is by video endoscopic laparoscopy.
Patients get general anesthesia and are fully asleep.
In our hands the operations average about 2 hours. Our patients are usually in the hospital 1 - 3 days afterward. Like patients having laparoscopic gallbladder operations, they are back to their usual activity in less than a week. The risks of the operation are injury to the spleen, liver, esophagus, or stomach which might result in bleeding or infection. Those injuries are usually correctable.