What happens if esophageal dilation does not work?
Major complications include perforation, bleeding, and bacteremia. Perforation risk varies between 0.1 % and 0.4 % [11]. Although the majority of patients are effectively treated with up to five dilations, approximately 10 % of patients need ongoing dilations to become dilation free [8••, 15].
What is the success rate of esophageal dilation?
Esophageal dilation is usually indicated for benign stenoses and is technically successful in more than 90% of cases. Most patients with esophageal carcinoma are not candidates for resection; thus, the main focus of treatment is palliation of malignant dysphagia and esophagorespiratory fistulas.
Can esophageal dilation cause problems?
Risks and possible complications for esophageal dilation include: Infection. A tear or hole in the esophagus lining, causing bleeding and possibly needing surgery to fix. Risks of anesthesia.
Does esophageal stricture get worse?
Esophageal strictures can be: Cancerous: These strictures get worse quickly. Benign (not cancerous): Benign strictures tend to progress slowly.
When does the esophagus need to be stretched?
You might need to have your esophagus stretched if you have been having trouble swallowing or other problems caused by a narrowed esophagus. When you swallow, you might experience discomfort when your esophagus becomes too narrow. This can affect your ability to eat if pain and discomfort are severe enough.
What causes esophagus to narrow?
The most common cause of an esophageal stricture is long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), where stomach acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus and causes esophageal inflammation, which can lead to scarring and narrowing over time.
Can strictures of the esophagus be cured?
Strictures are most often treated by esophageal dilation. This procedure is used to widen the esophageal passageway by stretching the opening. Your doctor may use long plastic or rubber cylinders of different sizes to open the stricture, or a balloon dilator may also be inflated to accomplish the same thing.