Causes
How We Can Help You
Achalasia is a disorder that affects the muscles and nerves in the esophagus that move food through your digestive tract. With achalasia, the food you eat passes much slower than normal – or not at all – through your esophagus into your stomach. Food can back up in your esophagus and cause unpleasant symptoms.
At Stanford, we combine the expertise of our Esophagus Center gastrointestinal specialists with the knowledge and skill of the professionals in our Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders Program. We use a personalized treatment approach to prevent symptoms of achalasia while treating the underlying cause.
FEATURED
What We Offer You For Achalasia
- Specialist care from board-certified doctors in gastroenterology, neurogastroenterology, and general and thoracic surgery who work together to quickly diagnose achalasia and plan treatment.
- Leading-edge technology, including endoscopes and probes that use the latest imaging software to help aid in the diagnosis and treatment of achalasia.
- Unmatched ability to provide a full range of diagnostic tests and innovative treatments, many of which are not offered by other esophageal specialty clinics.
- Minimally invasive techniques for diagnosing and treating achalasia to help manage and prevent your symptoms.
- Easy access to our experts, diagnostic tests, and treatment options through two convenient locations.
Treatment for Achalasia
Stanford’s team of experts work together to find the best way to manage achalasia. Our team includes doctors from multiple medical specialties who consider every aspect of your treatment plan, so no detail is overlooked.
We use the latest technology to help diagnose achalasia and assess your unique needs. Our experienced physicians offer many types of diagnostic tests, including high-resolution esophageal manometry, 24-hour reflux monitoring, EndoFlip, and barium esophagram studies.
Our testing expertise helps ensure that your diagnosis is accurate, providing your doctors with all possible information to develop a care plan tailored to your needs. Our goal is to target the cause of your condition, so you can lead a healthy, symptom-free life.
Depending on your needs, your care plan may include one of the following treatments:
Our specialists work together to find the best treatment options for managing your achalasia.
Endoscopy
For some patients with achalasia, endoscopic options may be a good short or long-term solution. Your care team treats achalasia with these endoscopic procedures:
- Botulinum toxin (Botox®) for digestive disorders: Small quantities of Botox® injected into your esophageal muscles help them relax immediately and allow food to pass more easily into your stomach.
- Pneumatic dilatation: Using an endoscope and special balloon, doctors expand your lower esophageal valve. This procedure allows for easier passage of food from your esophagus into your stomach.
Surgery
If endoscopic procedures are not effective, our specialists offer laparoscopic (minimally invasive) and surgical treatment options including:
- Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM): Stanford is one of a handful of centers nationwide offering this treatment. POEM helps open your esophagus from the inside, leaving no visible scars or wounds.
- Heller myotomy: In this laparoscopic procedure, our doctors make small incisions in the lower esophagus muscle to help relieve pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter.
- Esophagectomy: In rare cases, people with achalasia and massive dilation of the esophagus that is resistant to other treatment may benefit from an esophagectomy. Our thoracic surgeons have extensive experience and expertise in this technique.
Clinical Trials
We offer one of the nation’s most robust clinical trial programs for achalasia. These research studies evaluate new medical approaches, devices, drugs, and other treatments.
As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may be eligible to participate in open clinical trials. Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
To learn more about the clinical trials we offer, contact Divya Pathak at 650-721-8436.
About Achalasia
Our Clinics
Health care providers from several gastrointestinal specialties come together under one roof to help diagnose and manage achalasia. Our experts use decades of experience and the latest technologies to help provide treatment solutions for your unique needs.
420 Broadway Street, Pavilion D, 2nd Floor
420 Broadway Street, Pavilion D, 2nd Floor Redwood City, CA 94063
Phone: 650-736-5555 Getting Here
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To schedule an appointment, please call: 650-736-5555