OT or Not: Esophagus Stretching

Maybe my age group is running into problems since leaving youth or maybe medicine has something new. In the last year three acquaintances mentioned they had their esophagi stretched and the stretching did wonderful things for their health.

I never before heard of this. What is it about?

When you find out, please tell me.

It sounds like something invented by the Spanish Inquisition!

I've heard of stretching the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) for people with swallowing problems. The LES is well below the point where the airway and alimentary canal split, so it should have little to do with apnea.

It would really be great if there was some way to stretch out some part of the airway and fix apnea, but I haven't heard of such a thing.

I had to have my esophagus stretched at the LES area right before Chrismas.
It had nothing to do with sleep apnea. Instead it had to do with narrowing and scarring of the LES area from GERD. I had some food get caught..not fun.
Procedure was a non issue. Got the "I don't care what you do to me drug" and a sore throat for a couple of days. Otherwise it has done nothing for my general health.

I had started having trouble with bread getting stuck mid chest when swallowing. I too have GERD and a hiatal hernia. I've had my esophagus stretched twice in about 6 years. Can't say it radically changed my life, but the pain of occasionally having food lodged in my chest was resolved.

I guess the amnesia part of the meds didn't fully do their job because I distinctly remember that part of the procedure. Fortunately I don't remember any pain.

Esophagus stretching can be done during a routine upper endoscopy for reflux/GERD investigation.

Slinky wrote:Esophagus stretching can be done during a routine upper endoscopy for reflux/GERD investigation.

Yes, mine was done in conjunction with an upper endoscopy.

Mine was done along with the upper Endoscopy also. ALso found out I had a hiatal hernia. Whoopie.

Yep. Me too! I had my esophagus stretched during a routine endoscopy exam. I wouldn't have even known about it , had they not told me afterward that they had stretched it. I think that it is probably a pretty routine procedure once they get the scope work done. Esp: if you have had some gerd.