An esophageal stricture is the narrowing of the esophagus, the passageway between the throat and the stomach. This can occur when you are exposed to stomach acid, harsh chemicals or other irritants that injure the esophageal lining and cause inflammation and the formation of scar tissue.
Symptoms of this condition include swallowing difficulty, regurgitation of foods and liquids, weight loss, dehydration and a cough.
To treat this condition, your doctor may widen your stricture through mechanical dilation, prescribe acid-blocking medications or in severe cases remove the affected portion of the esophagus with a segment of the large intestine.
Airway Dilation
This endoscopic procedure is used to treat certain cases in which a patient’s windpipe has become too narrow. To perform an airway dilation, your Camino ENT doctor will insert a small balloon into the windpipe and inflate it to stretch out the stenosis. Once the desired openness is achieved, the balloon is simply deflated and removed.
Esophageal Dilation
This is another endoscopic procedure similar to the airway dilation surgery, but it’s used to open up the swallowing tube, called the esophagus, in patients who suffer due to a narrow passageway. Your San Jose otolaryngologist will insert a tube into the esophagus during this procedure, which will expand to stretch the narrow areas of tissue. Once this tube is removed, these tissues will remain in their new position.
Call Camino Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic at (408) 227-6300 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
