Regurgitation or vomiting up of undigested food is another symptom. Balloon dilation is widely accepted as the most effective non-surgical treatment. It works for approximately two-thirds of people with achalasia.
A doctor puts an endoscope into your stomach. You swallow a collapsed balloon, and he uses an x-ray machine. It guides the balloon into the right position in the LES. He then inflates the balloon to stretch the muscle fibers. This allows food to pass through to the stomach. Patients often need more than one dilation treatment for adequate relief. Complications may occur at this stage such as a tear in the esophagus.

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