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A 61-year-old man with a rare swallowing disorder was recently treated at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel. The patient, who had been struggling with severe difficulty swallowing for two years, found relief through an innovative treatment approach.
Dr Megraj Ingle, director and senior consultant of gastroenterology who treated Suhas R Mungaker, a resident of Mumbai, said Mungaker experienced hiccups while eating, which he initially dismissed as something everyone goes through.
“As time passed, I started to feel a sensation of gagging and the impression that food was getting stuck in my throat. To alleviate this, I would drink water and then attempt to eat again after a brief pause. Eventually, these issues seemed to subside for a while. However, I later began to have heartburn following meals, particularly during the summer months,” said Mungaker.
Mungaker started taking antacids and other medications to manage the discomfort. His wife consulted with the family doctor about his ongoing issues with antacids, prompting him to recommend consulting Dr Ingle for further evaluation.
With difficulty eating food, Mungaker also lost weight and started having chest pain.
“Diagnostic tests were done and revealed the presence of the rare condition known as Achalasia (wherein the oesophagus is unable to move food and liquids down into the stomach). The endoscopy showed that there were three or four blockages in his oesophagus. There was a narrowing of the oesophagus close to the stomach. Every time he ate, the food would get lodged in his throat, and even drinking water afterward wouldn’t help as it would also get stuck. He often ended up vomiting the food back up,” said Dr Ingle.
The endoscopy revealed a structure resembling a bird’s beak. It is an uncommon condition due to the inability of the lower oesophagus sphincter to relax.
Dr Ingle conducted a procedure in which via endoscope a tunnel was created between layers of oesophagus wall and lower oesophagus muscle was cut. “It’s a minimally invasive procedure. Recovery is fast, the day the patient got discharged he was swallowing food properly,” he said.
“It was petrifying for me when two years ago, I would get hiccups during meals. It became extremely difficult for me to eat as I was diagnosed with a rare swallowing disorder which was unknown to me. However, I am forever indebted to Dr Ingle and his team for timely intervention. I can eat my favourite food without any difficulty now,” said Mungaker.
