For decades, I struggled with swallowing food, but didn’t do much beyond suffer and mention it to a doctor somewhere along the way. My current very attentive doctor found the note in my records a few years back and sent me to gastro for a check. Turns out I have what’s called a Schatzki ring, a band of scar tissue in the portion of the esophagus near the stomach. An endoscopy and dilation back in 2022 fixed the problem nicely, as the dilation essentially expands the ring until it tears apart. Post-procedure, I was thrilled to be able to eat without worrying that I’d have an embarrassing swallowing situation.
Unfortunately, the Schatzki ring tends to grow back, so I’m now back on the schedule for another dilation at the end of the month. This time I’m on daily blood thinners, so I’ve communicated that well in advance to the team at gastroenterology. The verdict is still out about whether I’ll need to pause the blood thinners for a few days prior to the endoscopy. The specialist thinks the risk of bleeding is minor since it’s only scar tissue being affected, so he says I’m fine to continue.
Probably a long shot, but has anyone had this experience? If not, I’ll be sure to post a follow-up of how it goes.