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What is Esophageal Dilation?
Esophageal dilation is a procedure that allows your doctor to dilate, or stretch, a narrowed area of your esophagus [swallowing tube]. Doctors can use various techniques for this procedure. Your doctor might perform the procedure as part of a sedated endoscopy. Alternatively, your doctor might apply a local anesthetic spray to the back of your throat and then pass a weighted dilator through your mouth and into your esophagus.
Why is it Done?
The most common cause of narrowing of the esophagus, or stricture, is scarring of the esophagus from reflux of acid occurring in patients with heartburn. Patients with a narrowed portion of the esophagus often have trouble swallowing; food feels like it is "stuck" in the chest region, causing discomfort or pain. Less common causes of esophageal narrowing are webs or rings (which are thin layers of excess tissue), cancer of the esophagus, scarring after radiation treatment or a disorder of the way the esophagus moves [motility disorder].
How Should I Prepare for the Procedure?
An empty stomach allows for the best and safest examination, so you should have nothing to drink, including water, for at least six hours before the examination. Your doctor will tell you when to start fasting.
Tell your doctor in advance about any medications you take, particularly aspirin products or anticoagulants (blood thinners). Most medications can be continued as usual, but you might need to adjust your usual dose before the examination. Your doctor will give you specific guidance. Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to medications as well as medical conditions such as heart or lung disease. Also, tell your doctor if you require antibiotics prior to dental procedures, because you might need antibiotics prior to esophageal dilation as well.
What Can I Expect during Esophageal Dilation?
Your doctor might perform esophageal dilation with sedation along with an upper endoscopy. Your doctor may spray your throat with a local anesthetic spray, and then give you sedatives to help you relax. Your doctor then will pass the endoscope through your mouth and into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. The endoscope does not interfere with your breathing. At this point your doctor will determine whether to use a dilating balloon or plastic dilators over a guiding wire to stretch your esophagus. You might experience mild pressure in the back of your throat or in your chest during the procedure. Alternatively, your doctor might start by spraying your throat with a local anesthetic. Your doctor will then pass a tapered dilating instrument through your mouth and guide it into the esophagus.
What Can I Expect after Esophageal Dilation?
After the dilation is done, you will probably be observed for a short period of time and then allowed to return to your normal activities. You may resume drinking when the anesthetic no longer causes numbness to your throat, unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Most patients experience no symptoms after this procedure and can resume eating the next day, but you might experience a mild sore throat for the remainder of the day.
If you received sedatives, you probably will be monitored in a recovery area until you are ready to leave. You will not be allowed to drive after the procedure even though you might not feel tired. You should arrange for someone to accompany you home, because the sedatives might affect your judgment and reflexes for the rest of the day.
What are the Potential Complications of Esophageal Dilation?
Although complications can occur even when the procedure is performed correctly, they are rare when performed by doctors who are specially trained. A perforation, or hole, of the esophagus lining occurs in a small percentage of cases and may require surgery. A tear of the esophagus lining may occur and bleeding may result. Complications from heart or lung diseases are potential risks
Cholecystectomy means removal of the gallbladder. The most common reasons
your doctor might recommend a cholecystectomy are biliary colic, cholecystitis,
choledocolithiasis, or gallstone pancreatitis. Biliary colic, also known as symptomatic
cholelithiasis, is caused by gallstones, which are hardened deposits of bile. Gallstones are
common in the general population, and gallstones alone are not a reason for gallbladder
removal if they do not cause symptoms. However, sometimes gallstones can get caught at the
neck of the gallbladder, causing pain when the gallbladder contracts against them trying to
release its bile, especially after a fatty meal. With biliary colic, the pain typically resolves within
an hour or so. Occasionally, a stone or some other blockage may prevent the gallbladder from
emptying over a long period of time, causing an increase in pressure and trapped fluid within the
gallbladder. This can cause inflammation and infection of the gallbladder, which we call
cholecystitis. Choledocholithiasis is when there are one or more stones in the bile ducts, which
can cause back up of bile into the liver, and depending on the location of the stones, could
cause pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. Other reasons for gallbladder
removal, though less common, are gallbladder polyps and cancer. All of these are reasons for
gallbladder removal.
How to improve your eyesight at home? Exercising your eyes is one of those simple things that very few people do. However, it can help you maintain excellent vision. Here are 10 exercises that will take you no more than ten minutes to do. You can give them a try right now while watching this video – we are going to do all of them with you! Exercise #1. Blink for a minute. Exercise #2. Rotate your head while staring ahead. Exercise #3. Look to your right and left. Exercise #4. Close your eyes and relax. Exercise #5. Move your gaze in different directions. Exercise #6. Close and open your eyes. Exercise #7. Push against your temples with your fingers. Exercise #8. Draw geometric figures with your gaze. Exercise #9. Move your eyeballs up and down. Exercise #10. Strengthen your eyes’ near and far focusing.
Most scoliosis surgeons agree that children who have very severe curves (45-50° and higher) will need surgery to lessen the curve and prevent it from getting worse. The operation for scoliosis is a spinal fusion. The basic idea is to realign and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone. With the tools and technology available today, scoliosis surgeons are able to improve curves significantly.
Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is obstruction of blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC). It is a medical emergency and most often manifests in patients with a malignant disease process within the thorax. A patient with SVCS requires immediate diagnostic evaluation and therapy.
No condom prevents pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) 100% of the time. But if you and your partner are having sex, nothing protects against STDs better than a properly used condom. For those having sex, condoms must always be used to protect against STDs even when using another method of birth control.
Lymphoma is cancer of the lymph system (or lymphatic system), which is part of our immunity. It is characterized by the formation of solid tumors in the immune system.1 The cancer affects immune cells called lymphocytes, which are white blood cells. Diagram of the lymphatic system The lymphatic system is a system of vessels that branch back from virtually all our tissues to drain excess fluids and present foreign material to the lymph nodes. Learn more about the lymphatic system here. Statistics from the US National Cancer Institute estimate that there are nearly 20 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for every 100,000 people in the American population.2 Hodgkin's lymphoma, meanwhile, is relatively rare, with around three cases in every 100,000 people.3
We noticed a blue-line in the endometrial cavity between the tubal ostiae after injection of methylene blue (to determine tubal patency). We have seen this “blue-line” even in cases with normal or unicornuate uterus and/or in cases with patent or occluded fallopian tubes(Picture 1). So the be...st explanation of this finding may be the high speed jet or turbulence of dye in the top or the deepest part of endometrial cavity. We simply postulated that the zone which holds the methylene blue is the zone where the flashing dye strikes vertically over there and the dye penatrates into the endometrial epithelium and glands. We used this line as a guide that shows midline during operative hysteroscopy ( especially in cases with septate uterus) and we don’t ecxatly know reason why it occurs. It is necessary to perform histologic, molecular or clinical studies on this subject. It may have a multifactorial aetiology. We performed a prospective case control study and will publish it soon after when we get the results.