What is the treatment for esophageal dysmotility?
Achalasia may be treated with drugs that relax smooth muscle and prevent spasm, such as, isosorbide dinitrate or nifedipine. Pneumatic dilation is a procedure that dilates the LES with a high-pressure balloon. This is usually undertaken in conjunction with endoscopy under fluoroscopy. The surgical procedure that is performed for this is called a myotomy with or without the anti-reflux procedure. During the surgery the LES is incised and the anti-reflux procedure wraps the top portion of the stomach around the bottom of the esophagus to tighten it enough so that gastric content cannot reflux. Botulinum toxin (Botox) is a new treatment modality being used for achalasia. Very small doses of this poison are injected into the LES, which causes the muscle to relax. Ongoing studies are being conducted to determine its efficacy.
