11-year-old finally gets relief from acid reflux after first-in-the-world procedure for children
Oliver Gilpin is an 11-year-old who loves sports, science, four-wheeling, and ice fishing, but for two years, severe acid reflux prevented him from enjoying school and activities – until a pediatric gastroenterologist in a bowtie performed a first-in-the-world pediatric procedure that finally gave Oliver some relief.
When he was 8 years old, Oliver started vomiting multiple times each day. He’d complain that his stomach hurt, and he had a burning sensation in his throat.
Tina Gilpin brought her son to his primary care provider near their town of Finlayson, Minn., multiple times over the span of six months. They tried medication and carefully tracked what Oliver was eating and drinking to see if they could identify a trigger for his acid reflux.
But Oliver’s vomiting became worse. Despite having a doctor’s note informing the school that Oliver wasn’t contagious, Tina was frequently called to pick Oliver up.
“Oliver was always a happy kid, but I could start to see the mental toll that it was taking on him because he stopped eating breakfast before school because he didn’t want to throw up on the bus,” Tina said. “He wouldn’t eat if he was going to a friend’s house or if we were out in public.”
For months, Oliver underwent diet changes, an endoscopy, and bacteria testing. They also ruled out anxiety as a cause.
“We tried everything under the sun,” Tina said. “If you Google home remedies for acid reflux or GERD, we tried it as long as it was safe for a child. We were pretty much told that there was no next step. That wasn’t good enough for me.”
No option wasn’t an option for his healthcare team
The family was referred to M Health Fairview Pediatrics gastroenterology in January 2025. There, they found two providers who agreed that no next step wasn't good enough for them either.
First, the Gilpins met Robin Shannon, APRN, CNP, who said she’d seen bad reflux before, and that treatment has come a long way in her 30-year career. She knew she could help Oliver.
“Before we left that first appointment with her, she promised Oliver that he did not have to live like this for the rest of his life,” Tina said. “I knew right there and then that we were in a good place.”
But relief still didn’t come quickly. Oliver tried more medications and had more tests. Shannon brought in Aayush Gabrani, MD, a gastroenterologist with M Health Fairview Pediatrics and an assistant professor with the University of Minnesota Medical School. Gabrani handles most complex, advanced endoscopic procedures for pediatric patients.
“We're always looking for a solution,” Shannon said. “Our pediatric GI team is just amazing. We’re good at establishing relationships with families and working together as a team. We all exchange ideas with one another.”
Contributing to Oliver’s reflux is a loose connection between his esophagus and stomach that allowed the acid from the stomach to come back up. The usual treatment is surgery to wrap that connection up tight.
"I kept wondering if we could do something else for Oliver since he was just 10 years old and has a long life ahead,” Gabrani said. “I started doing some digging. I spoke to some other colleagues across the country and some adult GI doctors, and then I started doing a literature search and read publications about it.”
His months of research led Gabrani to recommend an anti-reflux mucosal ablation procedure, which uses targeted heat energy to scar the stomach lining. The C-shaped scar creates a wrap at the top of the stomach where the esophagus enters in order to tighten it, reducing the backflow of acid that causes symptoms. It’s a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure that has only been done on adults since 2019. Gabrani liked the option for Oliver because it would buy him time before he’d need surgery.
On a call to Oliver and his family, Gabrani explained that to his knowledge, this procedure hasn’t been done on a kid anywhere in the world.
“It's not new equipment, it's just a new technique,” Gabrani said. "I feel confident because I do a lot of our complex cases, but I told them that it might not work at all.”
When Gabrani was done explaining, Tina asked Oliver if he had any questions. He had just one: “When do you have time?”
Oliver’s parents agreed that even if they only saw a small improvement, it was worth it.
Immediate improvement
Tina knows the exact time Oliver last vomited: It was March 9, the night before the procedure.
“He has no abdominal pain,” Tina said. “He's not nauseated anymore. He said his throat finally feels normal. He is still a little cautious when he eats. And I think that's just going to take time for him to realize food normally shouldn't make your stomach hurt all the time.”
Gabrani is thrilled that Oliver finally got some relief from the symptoms that were severely affecting his life. He adds that it’s too soon to say how long the treatment will help – adults saw relief for up to three years.
Oliver found a new hero in his doctor. The two share something special: They were both brave enough to be the first in the world to try something new.
