(928) 358-1862
  • Make a Payment
  • Directions
  • Job Openings
Request an Appointment

Sunrise Ambulatory Surgical CenterSunrise Ambulatory Surgical Center

  • For Patients
    • Specialties
    • Keeping You Safe During COVID-19
    • How To Prepare For Surgery
    • Patient Forms
    • Insurance and Billing
    • CareCredit
    • How to Request Records
    • Healthy Living
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Request an Appointment
  • Find a Physician
  • Conditions
  • Joint Replacement
    • Total Knee Replacement Surgery
    • Total Hip Replacement Surgery
    • Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery
    • Your Cost Solution
    • Your Recovery Solution
  • For Physicians
  • About Us

Strictures

Overview

Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can cause scarring over time as the tissue in the esophagus tries to heal itself. Scar tissue is thicker than the normal lining of the esophagus, which causes the esophagus to narrow in places where the scar tissue forms, making it difficult to swallow. This narrowing in the esophagus is called a stricture. Strictures act as a barrier to food being swallowed and can eventually prevent food and even liquids from making their way down the esophagus and into the stomach. Eighty percent of esophageal strictures are related to GERD.

Symptoms of esophageal strictures

  • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
  • Regurgitation of food
  • Weight loss
  • Chest discomfort/pain

With strictures, you may find yourself chewing longer, needing to wash food down with water or other liquids and even taking smaller bites of food to help it pass through the esophagus. Some people with strictures begin to eat less because of pain when swallowing. This can lead to weight loss. When food gets stuck in your esophagus from a severe stricture and is vomited back up, you may need immediate treatment.

Doctors can diagnose strictures with a barium esophagram. The barium esophagram outlines the size and location of the stricture or strictures in your esophagus. Your doctor may also perform an endoscopy to visually evaluate the situation in your esophagus visually.

Treatment for Strictures

  • Dilation- stretching/dilating the wall of the esophagus to enlarge the opening to allow food to pass into the stomach

Doctors may also prescribe PPIs, also known as proton pump inhibitors. This acid-suppression medication may help reduce the need for additional dilations, thereby lowering the possibility for esophageal perforations, bleeding and other complications.

ACL Repair Abdominal Pain Abnormal or Heavy Bleeding Achalasia Anorectal Disease Arthritis Back and Neck Pain Barrett's Esophagus Bile Duct Disorders Bloody Stool Bunions Bursitis Pain Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Celiac Disease Chronic Back Pain Chronic Diarrhea Chronic Liver Disease Chronic Pain Cirrhosis Colon & Colorectal Cancer Constipation Crohn's Disease Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia) Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis Endometriosis Epidural Fibrosis Epidural Steroid Injection Esophageal Cancer Esophageal Varices Esophagitis and Stricture Fecal Incontinence Fibromyalgia Gallbladder Cancer Treatment and Surgery Gallstones Gastrointestinal and Gastroenterologist Hammer Toes Heartburn, Acid Reflux & GERD Heel Spurs (Plantar Fasciitis) Helicobacter Pylori (Stomach Infection) Hemorrhoids Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Hernias Herniated disc/Pinched nerve Hiatal Hernia Indigestion Inflammatory Bowel Disease Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Jaundice Joint Injections Joint Pain Liver Cancer Liver Disease Malabsorption Orthopedic Injuries Osteoporosis Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic Cysts Pancreatitis Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) Posterior Vitreous Detachment Rectal Bleeding Reflux Esophagitis Rotator Cuff Repair Sciatica Silent Reflux (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux) Sinusitis Spinal Stenosis Spine Injury Stomach Cancer Stomach Problems and Swallowing Problems Stomach Ulcers Strictures Ulcerative Colitis Uterine Fibroids When to See a GI Doctor for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
  • Contact Us
  • Notice of Nondiscrimination
  • Notice of Privacy Practices
  • Terms of Service
  • Internet Privacy Policy
  • Billing Disclosure

Sunrise Ambulatory Surgical Center
5448 South White Mountain Blvd, Suite 100,
Lakeside, AZ 85929

© 2023 Sunrise Ambulatory Surgical Center