following on from my swallowing problem threads etc, ive been doing a bit of research on the web and this might be of some comfort to those with patent physical swallowing difficulties (as opposed to stress/anxiety induced etc)

apparently there is an out-patient procedure that involves having the throat and food pipe dilated using an instrument known as a bougie (no sniggers at the back please!) which can range from a small rugby ball shape to a longer thin shape.

anyway after the throat has been anaesthetised a wire is fed down into the stomach after which the surgeon then feeds down the bougie over the back of the throat and i believe this is retrieved back up and then fed back down a couple of times to open up any blockage or stricture of the throat/foodpipe.

i will be speaking to my GP about this as a possible treatment but i would be very interested to hear from anybody out there who has had this procedure done and the before symptoms and after results. i think the procedure is simply called a Bougie Upper Gastric Dilation.

thanks all and take care.