Case Study: 61-Yr-Old With Rare Swallowing Disorder Had Been Experiencing These Common Symptoms

In achalasia, the esophagus is unable to move food and liquids down into the stomach. It can make it difficult for a person to eat food and keep it down.

For two years, a 61-year-old man had been suffering from achalasia, which is a rare and complex swallowing disorder. While he did find relief through an innovative treatment approach that also improved his overall health, he experienced some severe symptoms, each of which he dismissed thinking they are common digestive issues. Read on to find out more about the case, including the tell-tale signs and symptoms, and how the patient was finally treated.

What Symptoms Did The Patient Experience?

Two years ago, the patient, a resident of Mumbai, experienced hiccups while eating. Initially, he thought nothing of them, and dismissed them as something usual that everyone experiences from time-to-time. But, his health situation worsened progressively, and it started to worry his family members, too. In no time, he began to feel a sensation of gagging, along with the impression that the food was getting stuck in his throat.

To deal with this, he would drink water and then attempt to eat again after a pause. While these issues did seem to subside temporarily, the patient later started to experience heartburn, too, after eating meals; it was more prominent in the summer months.

To find a solution for this problem, he started to take antacids and other medications to manage the discomfort. His wife then consulted with their family doctor, who recommended them to Dr Megraj Ingle for further evaluation.

What Did The Doctor Find?

Dr Ingle, director and senior consultant of gastroenterology at Gleneagles Hospital said that upon arrival, the patient was experiencing difficulty in eating food and losing weight. He was also suffering from chest pain. The presence of a rare condition known as achalasia, wherein the esophagus is unable to move food and liquids down into the stomach, was found to be the problem.

"An endoscopy revealed there were three or four blockages in the esophagus. There was a narrowing of the esophagus close to the stomach. Every Time he ate, the food would get lodged in his throat. Even water intake afterward would not be of any help, as it would also get stuck. He often ended up vomiting. The endoscopy revealed a structure resembling a bird's beak. It is an uncommon condition due to the inability of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. This affects only one in a million individuals. We see almost 10-20 [cases] yearly, and no surgery was recommended," the doctor mentioned in a statement shared by the hospital.

How Was The Patient Treated?

A procedure was done, wherein a tunnel was created between the layers of oesophagus wall via endoscope, and the lower oesophagus muscle was cut. It was a minimally-invasive procedure, whose recovery time is fast. The day the patient got discharged, he was able to swallow food properly.