Esophageal Dilation

When a patient is diagnosed with a constricted esophagus, this means that there are one or more places in which the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach is significantly narrowed. This narrowing may occur as a result of scar tissue that is often related to acid reflux or the condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or it may be a congenital issue with which a child is born. To resolve the swallowing difficulties that esophageal strictures may cause, a dilation procedure can be employed in which a tiny, inflatable balloon is passed through an endoscope and expanded within the narrowed portion of the esophagus. This procedure may need to be repeated multiple times and in different intervals (sometimes years apart) if the esophageal stricture recurs.