Treatment for Swallowing Disorder (Achalasia)  -- 718.780.7700

What is Achalasia?

Achalasia is a rare disease of the esophagus where a person loses the normal ability to swallow food. The name means a failure to relax and refers specifically to the lower
esophageal sphincter muscle (or where the lower esophagus meets the stomach.)

How is Achalasia diagnosed?

Achalasia can easily be confused with other conditions; therefore, any person noticing a
persistent and consistent inability to swallow food or liquid and/or feeling a sense of
food sticking in their chest should consult their doctor immediately. Loss of appetite,
vomiting, chest pain and weight loss are all common warning signs of the disease. In
severe cases of untreated achalasia aspiration pneumonia (or an inflammation of the
lungs and airways) can arise due to trapped food in the esophagus which increases
breathing difficulties.

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to stop damage to the esophagus and
improve eating and digestion. The most important key to properly diagnosing
achalasia is a persons medical history. It is advisable for you to keep and present your
doctor with a detailed record of when you have difficulty swallowing food and other
symptoms over an extended period of time. 

After an initial exam, your doctor may take a video x-ray of your upper and lower
digestive system.

Another test is an esophageal manometry (or a pressure test), which uses a thin tube
passed through the nose to measure the ability or failure of the lower esophageal
muscle to properly contract.

Endoscopy is another way to diagnose achalasia. It involves the patient swallowing a
small camera with a light attached so doctors may actually see the condition of the
esophageal muscles. From this picture they can determine if your symptoms are being
caused by an underlying cancer or some other disease known to mimic the signs of
achalasia.

How does NYM treat achalasia?

Treatments for achalasia range from oral or injected medications to physical
stimulation and stretching of the esophagus to surgery. Each procedure has differing
success rates and risks but all are designed to relieve the pressure within the lower
esophageal sphincter muscle allowing food to pass into the stomach.

If the condition is serious, surgery may be the best treatment. Surgeons at NYM
recommend an esophagomyotomy (or surgical incision into the muscular tissue of the
esophagus). A thoracic surgeon will conduct this procedure sometimes called Heller
Myotomy, named for Ernst Heller a German physician who first performed it in 1913.

The procedure is done laparoscopically (using small or keyhole incisions in the
abdomen) offering a quicker recovery rate and less post-surgical complications. After
surgery, doctors may also recommend medications to help prevent the occurrence of
acid reflux or other ailments.

For more information, call 718.780.7700.