Esophageal dilation is a minimally invasive procedure to treat patients with an abnormal narrowing of the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach) that may be causing trouble swallowing.
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- An intravenous line will be placed in your arm, through which the anesthesiologist will administer gentle sedation, allowing you to sleep the entire time and have no discomfort.
- The gastroenterologist will stretch the narrowed area of the esophagus by either passing a balloon through a flexible endoscope and carefully inflating it under direct visualization inside the narrowed area, or passing a tapered, flexible, tube-shaped dilator through the stricture.
- Dilation procedures typically last about 15 minutes.
To prepare for the procedure, you need to follow certain dietary instructions, as directed by your doctor.
- You’ll spend 20-30 minutes in a recovery area while the sedation wears off, and you can eat immediately.
- The gastroenterologist will speak with you before you go home.
- Because of the anesthesia, you may need someone to escort you home. You should plan to take it easy the rest of the day, and you cannot drive a car following the procedure until the next day.
- In most cases, you will return to a normal diet and experience little or no discomfort.
- In some instances, especially if there is allergic type esophagitis, there may be some transient pain related to the stretching, which can be treated as needed with over-the-counter pain medications and antacids. In certain cases, your doctor may ask you to remain on a liquid diet for 24-48 hours.
- In most instances, a full dilation is accomplished in a single visit, but in others, safety considerations require a series of smaller, progressive dilations, typically about a month apart.
We perform esophageal dilation in our two state-of-the-art endoscopy centers, Carnegie Hill Endoscopy and The Endoscopy Center of New York.