are there any members here who have not needed any dilation after all there treatment long term . what signs do you need to be looking for to know one is needed
I was told it is unusual not to need at least one and the sooner they are done when you notice any swallowing issues the better. When I went for my second I was automatically booked in for a third. They really helped.
Thanks for reply jacpop so the signs you need one is trouble swallowing I can swallow quite normally but after a while’s get a pain by my ribs as the day goes on , was wondering if this is a symptom . Thanl you
in my case I was having trouble swallowing getting food stuck which meant I was being sick. It’s to stretch the scar tissue which contracts and the bottom (old) stomach valve so it stays open. Not sure about the pain you are experiencing but it has got to be worth asking the question.
My wife did not have any dilations after her surgery - and things worked out fine for her.
Maybe we were just lucky. However, my wife's surgery was done in February 2020, and so her initial recuperation happened during the initial period of Covid. Because of that, some of the follow-up consultations were a bit delayed.
Initially, my wife was having some difficulty swallowing, and her surgeon has since remarked that it would probably have been standard practice at the time to perform a dilation. But, since Covid intervened, by the time we eventually saw the surgeon my wife's swallowing difficulties had eased, and no dilation was necessary.
The surgeon remarked that that was a very interesting outcome, and that he might change his future practice as a result.
Obviously, if you have great difficulty swallowing then a dilation would be called for. But the procedure is not without risk - it's further trauma, and will itself result in further scar tissue - so, if it can be avoided, so much the better.
