Why would your esophagus need to be stretched?
Doctors stretch the esophagus in order to ease symptoms, such as trouble swallowing or discomfort. Keep in mind that the effects of this procedure can wear off over time. Your doctor can let you know other ways to help maintain a more open esophagus, so that you don’t experience symptoms again.
What are the symptoms of needing your esophagus stretched?
Typical symptoms include:
- difficult or painful swallowing.
- unintended weight loss.
- regurgitation of food or liquids.
- sensation of something stuck in the chest after you eat.
- frequent burping or hiccups.
- heartburn.
How do you treat esophageal stenosis?
There are several different treatment options for benign esophageal strictures, including:
- Taking medications to reduce stomach acid, which can help prevent the stricture from recurring.
- Dilating, or stretching, the esophagus.
- Using a small tube called a stent to reopen the esophagus.
What are the side effects of having your esophagus stretched?
Esophageal dilation is a treatment to help stretch, or dilate, abnormal narrowings found in the esophagus. These narrowings are called strictures and can occur from a variety of health problems….Associated Risks
- Difficulty breathing.
- Fever.
- Chest pain.
- Bloody or black bowel movements2.
Is it painful to have your esophagus stretched?
Little discomfort or pain. Effective at relieving esophageal stricture. Side effects are usually minimal (such as a sore throat) One procedure is usually all that’s needed.
What does a narrow esophagus feel like?
The main symptom of an esophageal stricture is dysphagia, meaning difficulty in swallowing. This may manifest as a sensation of food sticking or feeling of delay in food passage in the throat, chest or upper abdomen.
What does narrowing of the esophagus feel like?
How do you clear a blocked esophagus?
Ways to remove food stuck in throat
- The ‘Coca-Cola’ trick. Research suggests that drinking a can of Coke, or another carbonated beverage, can help dislodge food stuck in the esophagus.
- Simethicone.
- Water.
- A moist piece of food.
- Alka-Seltzer or baking soda.
- Butter.
- Wait it out.
How long does esophagus stretching last?
Your throat may feel sore for a day after dilation but usually improves within 24 hours. Localized irritation of the vein where the medication was injected may cause a tender lump lasting for several weeks, but this will go away eventually.
How long does balloon dilation last?
The balloon was inflated once per procedure in 21 of 74 (28.3%) dilations and twice per procedure in 53 of 74 (72.7%). The duration of the inflation ranged from 30 s to 2 min (median 93 s) and in each procedure obliteration of the balloon “waist” was fluoroscopically noted.
How is the stretching of the esophagus done?
What is Esophageal Dilation? Esophagus stretching, professionally known as esophageal dilation or sometimes even pneumatic dilation, is a procedure that dilates (stretches) the esophagus (throat). Doctors perform the surgery by inserting a long tube down a patient’s throat.
What to do if you have an esophageal stricture?
Most symptomatic strictures require dilation to fix the problem. Many patients need more than one dilation over time to keep the esophagus wide enough for food to pass through. In rare cases, severe and untreated esophageal strictures can cause perforations (small rips), which can be life-threatening.
When do you need a peptic stricture for GERD?
When food impaction occurs, regurgitation is usually required before swallowing can resume. Patients with peptic strictures usually present with dysphagia; it is less common for a patient to develop a symptomatic stricture during the treatment and follow-up of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Which is the best gastroplasty for a shortened esophagus?
Antireflux procedures. Patients with a shortened esophagus require esophageal lengthening at the time of antireflux surgery. The Collis gastroplasty has been shown to be effective for esophageal lengthening in combination with both the Nissen (Collis-Nissen) and Belsey (Collis-Belsey) repairs.