Trouble swallowing: Hi My husband is... - Oesophageal & Gas...

Oesophageal & Gastric Cancer

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Trouble swallowing

zilpha profile image
5 Replies

Hi My husband is 3 months out of surgery,had a clean CT scan 2 weeks ago.4 days out of 20

into radiation.For last couple of weeks has trouble swallowing food,no problem with fluids.could

this be scar tissue,so soon after surgery.Radiation treatment can not be cause of this it is too soon,also this problem started before radiation.I would be glad to hear any ideas what this could be. Many Thanks Zilpha.

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zilpha profile image
zilpha
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5 Replies
DaveChuter profile image
DaveChuter

Hi,

This can be a common issue soon after surgery, where the scar gets tight, normal fix is an endoscopy dilation to stretch the opening again.

I had 3 dilations within the first year after surgery, the 3rd was a permanent fix as now 6 years out.

Please talk to your CNS and / or consultant and mention the problem asap, it can be an easy fix for a worrying issue.

Best wishes,

Dave C

zilpha profile image
zilpha

Hi Dave,thanks for your comments.I will ring GI nurse in morning,hopefully they will act on this

quickly,before radiation starts with side effects. Regards Zilpha.

Bernadette profile image
Bernadette

Yes Dave's answer is correct, same for me. Let us know how you get on.

Sometimes the surgery scar is much more troublesome for some patients than others - the only way of finding out is to ask the doctors! Swallowing can be quite a bit more of a complicated issue than we ever realised when we were young and completely OK!

zilpha profile image
zilpha

Thank you Bernadette and Alan,for taking the time to answer my question.

Regards Zilpha

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