Will an EGD show dilation or other issues?

Well, I am approaching the 3 year mark and all of a sudden, I'm experiencing some weird issues.  I get strange moving gas pains in my back, from areas in the shoulder then it will move to my low back.  I've been PBing water/food for no reason.  Sometimes it feels like I have pressure in my esophagus.  I don't feel like I'm too tight or that something is stuck except for when I drink water, then it feels like there's a plug there.  I'm not eating properly because of vomiting/PBing and of course my wieght is starting to go back up.  I've been eating liquids/mushies trying to get any inflammation down thinking maybe I'm irritated (I did have way too much popcorn early last week which could have irritated the stoma).

I'm scheduled to see my doctor on Thursday.  When I spoke to the nurse, I asked about an upper GI to see if anythings wrong (I've never had one since surgery).  I figured theyd schedule a barium swallow to see if I have dilation or a possible slip, but she said the doctor would want to do an EGD.  When they scope lke that, will it show if there is dilation or a slip?  I thought it would only show issues inside of the GI tract.

Any feedback would be appreciated.  I am probably being paranoid about the situation, but I'd rather be proactive than have a major issue later.

Thanks for your replies!

Hi Lori,

This is just a thought, but it sounds like you might be experiencing esophageal dilation possibly. If the esophagus is dilated, it can kind of "bunch up," which can also cause the Vagus nerves to get involved, causing the pressure and pains in the shoulder and back.

If you are having trouble drinking water, it could be that it's "pooling" where the esophagus is dilated.

I'm glad you're seeing your doc on Thursday.  I think a simple fluoroscopy Xray can show if there's dilation, but I could be wrong. I know from the fluoroscopy Xrays I've had, you can clearly see the esophagus and how it works while the barium travels downward.

Hope you get an answer and feel better soon.
~Nic

I would guess they would be able to see a dilation that way, but I know I had an EGD during the time I had a slip and it didn't really show anything. I would say that, depending on the results of the EGD, you might ask for an upper GI as well.
I assume they are going to unfill your band for the EGD?

I started having those similar issues at 2 yrs and was only free of them when I got unfilled which I still am and will stay that way until I can get rid of this "thing".

I used to have that "plugged" feeling when my allergies where acting up, the post nasal drip was enough to cause a "back up" that would leave me uncomfortable. 

My upper GI did not show my dialation or slip, it was not until I had a full CT scan that my slip was evident. 

Good luck, if you feel like you don't get an answer from the Upper GI, ask for the CT scan. 

If an Upper GI doesn't show problems, it makes me wonder what test shows a slipping or dialation? Only a full CAT scan?

The only thing that showed my slip was the CT scan, I went into the ER for pain and they did an x-ray (showed normal) and an Upper GI (also deemed normal) and they sent me home and told me it was nothing. A day later I was rushed to the ER in tremendous pain, they reviewed my previous tests and decided to give me the CT scan which showed very clearly that there was a problem. 

Honestly I don't know if the Upper GI did show a problem but the doctor reading it didn't really know what to look for since it's the ER they look at everything, and he was not specifically a bariatric surgeon and it's possible that he overlooked something that my actual bariatric surgeon would have picked up on the first time around had he been the one to read it. 

I just always suggest the CT scan if someone still feels like their is a problem after the Upper GI, since it's possible that the doctor who is doing it/looking at it and doing the report that goes to your doctor might not be an expert in the bariatric field and so they might miss something that your surgeon would see and find suspect. Also, it's best to have the actual video/xrays sent to your doctor if he is not the one doing the actual test so he can see the pictures for himself. 

This was my experience most of last year, and the reason I ended up with a revision to the sleeve.  When my surgeon removed the band, he noted that it was still in good position, with no slip.  My theory is that the esophogus gets tired of having to work extra hard to get food to the stomach, and issues creep up at about the 2 and 3 year mark.  I was 2 years out from my revision to fix a slip (slip caused by surgical error) when I noticed lots of issues. 

Any time I've had irritation, I always had an Upper GI - IT WILL SHOW A SLIP....I hear others have EGD to make sure they don't have any signs of erosion..but an UPPER GI should show erosion as well you can see clearly the pouch and how the contrast is going through.

I've never had an EGD in 7 years, --- anytime I've been severely irritated removing saline helped more than all those unnecessary tests and my band is perfect at 7 years.

Removing saline when you are irritated will save your band more than all those tests! Sometimes you have to let pressure off of the esophagus and the pouch for awhile if it's been tight for long periods.

Good luck

Good luck

Hi,
I'm sorry you are having these issues -- it's normal to be worried and it's great that you are taking action.


I was just at my surgeon's office last week and he said I would need an Upper GI (sounds like the same thing Nic said) with the contrast to see how my esophagus is doing -- not a scope. Not sure why though. The UGI is scheduled for tomorrow.

I'm having a lot of coughing immediately after eating -- are you experiencing any coughing?

Thanks and take care,