Esophageal Dysphagia

I posted last week that after a coughing fit (allergies) I vomited several times. Since then I have felt very tight and swollen, so I have stayed on liquids and mushies--suddenly not hungry at all. And even when I drink just liquids, I have a sore and strained throat. The good news is that I have suddenly dropped 3 (stubborn) lbs in 5 days. The bad news is...

I had my 18 month follow up appointment today, already scheduled, and mentioned the new symptoms. She told me I have "Esophageal Dysphagia" and need to get an upper GI to see what is causing it.

Has anyone else expereiced this? Any advice? I typed it into Google and it's freaking me out...

It's a complication of your band. If you can't correct it with unfills or other adjustments, then you may want to consider revision.

When I was doing a LOT of throwing up, the surgeon took all the fluid out of the band because I was so swollen.  He left it out for 2 weeks and then started slowly refilling me. 

But don't freak over the upper GI.  I was scared to death as I HATE needles but once I got the IV over with, it was nothing.  They give you the meds that make you wake up so refreshed and without any grogginess that you don't even know you've been asleep.


Its all outpatient and doesn't take but about 10 minutes and they get a good clear picture of what's going on in there.  Its really the only way to find out what's what so you need to have it done.

Ask the surgeon about taking out all the fluid and waiting for the swelling to go down.  I really don't think you want that tube fromthe upper GI if there's swelling to contend with already.

LaWanda

I think you're confusing an Upper GI with an Endoscopy.

I've never heard of anyone being put under for an UGI.  I know a radiologist personally and they assure me that that is extremely rare.  :)

Of course, you could be right and I'm all wet, but I really think you're talking about an Endoscopy.  :)

I've had a couple of UGI's.  All you do is not drink/eat after midnight, the next day go into the radiology department.. drink some barium and they take a few xrays.  Sometimes the radiologist can position the monitor where you can see the barium go through.  It's pretty neat to watch.

From what I can tell by reading your description of an UGI.....You seem to be describing a fluoroscopy .

Fluoro is used for an UGI.  I may not have had a full UGI as they were only checking band position.  ::shrug::   My point was that it's extremely rare for a patient to be put under for an UGI.

I was one of those rare cases that was put under for a UGI.

No absolutes in medicine.  Sorry you had issues.  :(

OMG....thank you.  I am thinking endoscope.  I've had the upper GI and the endoscope and they are very different, as you know.  I didn't have my thinking cap on when I sent that post, obviously. 

I do appologize.  Thank you for jogging my memory.  And I'll try to remember which one is which for future reference. 

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/discussion/

• Hp26 pseudo-achalasia following a slipped laparoscopically placed adjustable gastric band: a case report. N Al-Mozany and M Booth We report a case of a 67 year old female with a complex medical history who developed secondary achalasia from a slipped laparoscopi... ANZ 77 Suppl 1:A46 (2007) PMID 17490170 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z
  
  
  Pseudo-achalasia following laparoscopically placed adjustable gastric banding. W Wiesner, M Hauser, O Schöb, M Weber and R S Hauser 9/120 patients developed pouch dilatation, esophageal widening and esophageal dysmotility as a late complication, despite normal ban... os 11:513 (2001) PMID 11501366 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• High resolution esophageal manometry evaluation in symptomatic patients after gastric banding for morbid obesity. Claire Cruiziat, Sabine Roman, Maud Robert, Philippe Espalieu, ... Francois Mion Our aim was to assess esophageal motility and clearance in symptomatic LAGB patients using high resolution manometry (HRM). Twenty-t... Dig Liv Dis 43:116 (2011) PMID 20943447 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Esophageal Dysmotility Disorders After Laparoscopic Gastric Banding-An Underestimated Complication. Naef : This study demonstrates that esophageal motility disorders after LAGB are frequent, poorly appreciated complications. Despite adequ... Ann Surg :1 (2010) PMID 21169806 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Morbid Obesity with Achalasia: A Surgical Challenge. Monika E Hagen, Micheal Sedrak, Oliver J Wagner, Garth Jacobsen, ... Santiago Horgan We report the case of a 69-year-old female patient with early achalasia and obesity who underwent simultaneous laparoscopic gastric... os : (2010) PMID 20373048 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Esophageal motility disorders in the morbidly obese population. J S Koppman, L Poggi, S Szomstein, A Ukleja, A Botoman and R Rosenthal Despite a high prevalence of esophageal dysmotility in our morbidly obese study population, there was a conspicuous absence of sympt... Surg Endos 21:761 (2007) PMID 17285388 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Recurrent aspiration pneumonia after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. M Hofer, C Stöllberger, J Finsterer and S Kriwanek We report a 44-year-old female suffering from dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia 2 years after adjustable banding. Her esophagus was... os 17:565 (2007) PMID 17608276 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Avoiding complications after laparoscopic esophago-gastric banding: experience with 400 consecutive patients. Sergio Boschi, Luciano Fogli, Rossana Daniela Berta, ... Francesco Domenico Capizzi The technique herein presented is effective and useful to prevent postoperative gastric slippage. It does not induce pseudo-achalasi... os 16:1166 (2006) PMID 16989700 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Preoperative esophageal manometry and outcome of laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding. J I Lew, A Daud, M F DiGorgi, L Olivero-Rivera, D G Davis and M Bessler Preoperative esophageal manometry does not predict weight loss or GERD outcomes after LASGB in morbidly obese patients. Postoperativ... Surg Endos 20:1242 (2006) PMID 16858533 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Achalasia after vertical banded gastroplasty for morbid obesity: A case report. Minyoung Cho, Orit Kaidar-Person, Samuel Szomstein and Raul J Rosenthal We report a case of achalasia that was diagnosed 13 years after a vertical-banded gastroplasty was performed.... Surg Laparosc E... 16:161 (2006) PMID 16804459 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z  
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• Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve restores motility in an animal model of achalasia. Yashodhan S Khajanchee, Roger VanAndel, Blair A Jobe, ... Lee L Swanstrom Esophageal peristalsis generally does not return to normal after surgical treatment of achalasia. Direct electrical stimulation of t... J Gastroint Surg 7:843 (2003) PMID 14592656 Email - Log in to bookmark -   
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• Are the motility abnormalities of achalasia reversible? An experimental outflow obstruction in the feline model. J H Schneider, J H Peters, E Kirkman, C G Bremner and T R DeMeester Loss of compliance of the lower esophageal sphincter produces outflow obstruction with the resultant loss of esophageal contraction... surg 125:498 (1999) PMID 10330937 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z
     
• [Gastroenterology. I: General gastroenterology] H Goebell In the last 20 years considerable progress has been achieved--among others--in motility associated disorders, in chronic inflammator... Arzneimittelfo... 47:1419 (1997) PMID 9499375 Email - Log in to bookmark - Z