Esophageal stricture, acute
Esophageal stricture, acute: A narrowing or closure of the normal opening of the swallowing tube that leads to the stomach, usually caused by scarring from acid irritation. Acute, complete obstruction of the esophagus occurs when food (usually meat) is lodged in the esophageal stricture. This causes chest pain and inability to swallow saliva. Attempts to relieve the obstruction by inducing vomiting at home are usually unsuccessful. Patients with complete esophageal obstruction can breathe and are not at risk of suffocation. Endoscopy is usually used to retrieve the obstruction and relieve the condition.
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Esophageal stricture, chronic: A long-standing narrowing or closure of the normal opening of the swallowing tube that leads to the stomach, usually caused by scarring from acid irritation. Chronic esophageal stricture is a common complication of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Several procedures are available for stretching (dilating) the strictures without having to resort to […]
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Esophagectomy: An operation to remove a portion of or an entire esophagus.
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Inflammation of the esophagus.
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Esophagogastric tamponade: A procedure in which a balloon is inflated within the esophagus and stomach to apply pressure on bleeding blood vessels, compress the vessels, and stop the bleeding. Used in the treatment of bleeding veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices) and stomach. The balloon used in the esophagus is shaped like a sausage while […]