Esophageal dilation?

[HealthyinMN]

Geez... it doesn't even sound good typing it out!

Has anyone had, or known someone who has had, this procedure done? In my ongoing effort (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=106179&highlight=Gastro) to figure out my throat issue, this is one of the ideas my Gastro guy is pushing.

Thanks!

[MinEaston]

I'll ask my brother (an internist) about it. It came up in a discussion about my father while he was in the hospital, when they found he had (on top of a myriad of other issues), swallowing issues.

[Kathy B]

My brother has had the procedure done more than once over several years for a condition called Schatzki's Ring. It helps a lot, and it doesn't seem to be too big of a deal.

He had problems swallowing at times, and sometimes he would really get choked up (enough to alarm those of us at the table with him) before he was able to clear whatever was getting caught. He still avoids some foods, but for the most part the dilation really corrects things.

[LakeMartinGal]

DH had it done earlier this year -- no problem, almost as an aside to the actual test that was done! Uncomfortable for a day, but the effect is wonderful -- no more trouble swallowing!:)

[Casey1230]

My brother has had the procedure done more than once over several years for a condition called Schatzki's Ring. It helps a lot, and it doesn't seem to be too big of a deal.

He had problems swallowing at times, and sometimes he would really get choked up (enough to alarm those of us at the table with him) before he was able to clear whatever was getting caught. He still avoids some foods, but for the most part the dilation really corrects things.

I had the same thing years ago. Food would get 'stuck' going down as the rings on the esophagus open and close... the thin tissue on the rings starts growing (for lack of a better description) and food stays put until the ring opens back up. I had a real problem with anything starchy... bread, potatoes, rice. They put a scope down to biospy and it opened back up the area... I didn't feel a thing, out-patient although had to stay in for about 4 hours as I did have an IV... they gave me some good stuff in the IV, told me to start to swallow the scope and the next thing I knew, I woke up on the gurney... no big deal and it never came back!

It did show up clearly on a barium swallow test. I saw an ENT specialist for this.

[HealthyinMN]

Glad to hear that it shouldn't be too awful! I don't have Schatzki's Ring, but its pretty much the only thing left they can do to break the tightness I still have.

Do you happen to know what kind of dilation they did? Was it the balloon or the flexible "bougies"?

[LakeMartinGal]

I believe DH had the balloon, but I'm not sure.:)

[JackieO]

I highly recommend having this procedure done on a preventive-health basis rather than emergency room visit! :eek:

About five years ago, I noticed food getting "stuck" and causing tremendous pain in the chest. This tended to happen when eating in social situations -- not paying attention to the food and probably eating too rapidly. After a particularly painful (and embarrassing) episode when I had to excuse myself from a business lunch, I called my doctor. When I described the symptoms, she said "You bought yourself a scope."

So -- I had the procedure done. I had versed (sp?) -- that amnesia drug -- and only remember being prepped in the room. Next memory is waking up in recovery. I couldn't drive or work that day...and I felt kind of "drunk" for the rest of the day.

FF to last September. I was eating chicken stew (a Penzey's recipe ;)) for dinner about six o'clock and was home alone. It was either a piece of potato or chicken that got stuck, and I was really miserable, throwing up, etc. DH got home about 9:30 and I asked him to take me to the emergency room. I'll spare you the rest of the details, but if I had been "listening to my body" better in the previous few months, I would have called my doc again to suggest that perhaps it was time to have another dilation.

I.will.NOT.put.myself.through.that.again!! :mad:

[LakeMartinGal]

Ah. Versed! Truly a wonderful drug... they set my ankle while I had that, and I woke up 15 minutes later with NO drug hangover!:)

[jmarie]

My mother had achalasia and had to have her esophagus stretched several times to have it several times before they did a surgery on her. She described it as being no different than endoscopy.

Eventually that stopped working and so they used Botox, with the understanding that it would not work forever. They were still having to do it, every 6 months which was pain in the butt for her because a choking episode had to happen before a new Botox could be done.

When the Botox eventually stopped working, they did surgery procedure called myotomy. That did the trick and she has not been bothered in the 4 years since having it done. She now wishes she could have done that first and been spared all of the incidences of choking.

It took while to get her here now, but she eats what she wants which makes her happy.
Joyce

[HealthyinMN]

Thanks again for your inputs!

I went and had it done this morning with- the doctor used a Maloney dilator, but thankfully I don't have a clue what it looked like. They might have shown it to me, but the meds they gave me worked well and I don't remember anything. Throat doesn't seem to be too sore at all yet, so hopefully it will stay that way.

I guess we'll see if it worked or not over the next few days!

[LakeMartinGal]

Glad it went so well! Fingers crossed for good, lasting results!:D

[Kathy B]

Glad to hear it went well, Joe. I find that quite often our anticipation of something is worse than the thing itself!

[lisas3575]

Hey Joe, how are you feeling post-dilation? Hope you got some relief from your symptoms and that the recovery was easy.

[SusanL]

Hi Joe, I posted on Other Stuff that I have a hiatal hernia and since then have had the laparoscopy, this Tuesday I will go for the manometry-is that what you had? Mine is to determine the muscle tone of the LES so that they can determine which surgical procedure to use for the hiatal hernia surgery. Would you have been able to drive after your procedure? Not sure that we have the same problem or same procedure. I also have on going throat problems and am not looking forward to another procedure and surgery. Hope all is well also! I just can't take the symptoms any more! :(

[HealthyinMN]

Lisa - So, so till. I can't say it has been a vast improvement yet, but the doctor let me know it may take a couple weeks to fully feel any changes! I'm still hopeful!

Susan - I have had a manometery done and they didn't knock me out for that, so I was able to drive fine afterwards. They did put a little numbing gel in my nostril before they started threading the tube down.

Assuming this is the same procedure, let me know if you have any other questions!

[SusanL]

Thanks Joe! I will let you know after Tuesday morning, I am not concerned now that I know I can drive myself home. Hopefully, July will be the end of esophogial issues, Amen!

[SusanL]

:( Back from the E. Manometry, it was not successful, I couldn't keep it down at the throat. Long story, no results. But I put a call into the gastro. dr.'s office to find out when they will schedule the surgery, seems that they can do it without the test results but... anyway, Joe, how are you feeling? (I am really bummed right now, but the nurses explained that there are a lot of people who can't successfully get the probe down.)
P.S. my nose now whistles from the procedure ~