How Long Does Relief From Achalasia Balloon Dilation Usually Last? Realistic Expectations

A retired schoolteacher sits in a recovery bay, still a little hoarse from the endoscope, and asks the question everyone asks before the sedation has fully cleared: “So how long will this hold?” Her gastroenterologist gives an honest answer, which is a range rather than a date. She had expected a number. What she gets instead is a probability, and a plan for what happens if the swallowing trouble comes back.

That gap between the hoped-for number and the realistic range is the heart of this article. People searching “how long does achalasia dilation last” usually want permission to plan: to book a trip, return to full meals, stop thinking about every mouthful. The evidence allows some of that confidence, with caveats worth understanding before the procedure rather than after.

What follows explains what the balloon actually does, why its effect fades for some people and not others, what recovery feels like, and how clinicians decide when a repeat is reasonable.

How long does achalasia dilation last? The honest range

Start with the most reliable data we have. In the European Achalasia Trial, a multicenter randomized study, people treated with a graded program of pneumatic dilation were followed for years. At two years, 86 percent were classed as treatment successes, compared with 90 percent after laparoscopic Heller myotomy, a surgical operation that cuts the sphincter muscle. At five years those figures were 82 percent and 84 percent, with no statistically meaningful difference between the two approaches (Boeckxstaens et al., NEJM 2011; Moonen et al., Gut 2016).

Two details in that trial shape expectations. First, “success” was defined using the Eckardt score, a simple symptom tally covering swallowing difficulty, regurgitation, chest pain and weight loss, scored 0 to 12, with 3 or below counted as controlled. Second, the dilation arm allowed repeat sessions when symptoms returned. Roughly a quarter of the dilation group needed at least one redilation during follow-up. So the headline durability figure describes a strategy, not a single balloon inflation.

Mayo Clinic puts the same idea in plainer language: nearly one-third of people treated with balloon dilation need repeat treatment within five years. Those two framings are compatible. Most people get years of good swallowing; a meaningful minority need a touch-up, and a smaller group eventually move to a different treatment.

Beyond five years the data thin out, and long-term cohort studies generally show symptom control continuing to drift downward over a decade, which is why most specialist services build in follow-up rather than discharging patients after one good result. The realistic expectation, then, is durable but not permanent relief, with a known and manageable chance of needing more.

What achalasia is, and why the sphincter is the target

Achalasia is a disorder of the nerves that control the esophagus, the muscular tube carrying food from the throat to the stomach. Two things go wrong at once. The lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of muscle at the junction with the stomach, fails to relax when you swallow. And peristalsis, the coordinated wave of muscle contraction that pushes food downward, weakens or disappears. Food and liquid pool above a gate that will not open.

The nerve loss itself cannot currently be reversed. No procedure restores peristalsis, and no medicine regrows the damaged nerve cells in the esophageal wall. Every treatment, from balloon to surgery, therefore aims at the one part of the problem that can be mechanically changed: the tight sphincter. Open it enough, and gravity does much of the work peristalsis used to do.

This explains the first realistic expectation. Treatment manages achalasia; it does not return the esophagus to normal. The NHS describes the goal as helping food pass more easily and reducing symptoms, and notes that treatments may need repeating. People who understand this going in tend to interpret a return of mild symptoms as the expected course of a chronic condition, rather than as a failure of their care.

Achalasia is uncommon, affecting roughly 1 in 100,000 people each year by most estimates cited in major references, and it can appear at any age, though it is most often diagnosed between 25 and 60. Because it is rare, many people have lived with symptoms for years before diagnosis, which also affects how much a dilated esophagus has already stretched, a point that returns later when we discuss durability.

What actually happens during pneumatic dilation for achalasia

Pneumatic dilation for achalasia is deliberately different from the gentler dilation used for scar-related strictures. The intention is to tear, in a controlled way, the circular muscle fibers of the lower esophageal sphincter so the gate no longer clamps shut.

Here is the sequence most people experience. You fast beforehand, usually overnight, and often for longer on liquids because a dilated esophagus can hold food for many hours. You receive sedation through a cannula. The endoscopist passes a flexible camera down the esophagus to inspect it and to place a thin guidewire through the sphincter into the stomach. Over that wire slides a long balloon, positioned so its waist sits exactly at the sphincter, checked with fluoroscopy (real-time X-ray) or direct endoscopic view.

The balloon is then inflated with air to a set pressure and held for one to a few minutes. Sizes are stepped: a smaller balloon first, with larger ones used at later sessions if symptoms persist. This graded approach, rather than starting with the largest balloon, is what the randomized trial data describe, and it exists to lower the chance of perforation while still achieving a durable stretch.

You will likely feel pressure or a deep ache in the chest during inflation, blunted by sedation. The whole visit usually takes a few hours including recovery, and most people go home the same day. Mayo Clinic describes it as an outpatient procedure. Some centers perform a swallow X-ray with contrast afterward to check for a leak before discharge; others observe clinically. Either approach is standard, and your team will explain which they use and why.

Why relief fades: the mechanics of recurrence

If the muscle has been torn, why does the problem come back? Several mechanisms, often overlapping, explain it.

The first is healing itself. Torn muscle fibers scar, and scar can tighten over months. A sphincter that measured comfortably open on the day of the procedure may slowly regain tone. This is why residual sphincter pressure, measured by manometry (a pressure study using a thin tube passed through the nose), predicts outcome: higher pressure after dilation generally means earlier recurrence, a pattern reported consistently across the long-term cohorts indexed on PubMed.

The second is that the underlying disease does not stop. The nerve loss that caused achalasia is ongoing in many people, so the esophagus above the sphincter may continue to dilate and lose what little contraction it had. Even with an adequately opened sphincter, a very wide, baggy esophagus empties poorly, and symptoms return for reasons the balloon never addressed.

Third, some apparent recurrences are not achalasia recurrences at all. Acid reflux through a now-loosened sphincter can cause heartburn and even a new acid-related stricture, which narrows the esophagus for a different reason. Food impaction, a candida infection in a slow-emptying esophagus, or an unrelated motility change can each masquerade as the old problem.

This is why specialists do not simply redilate on the basis of symptoms alone. A timed barium esophagram, an X-ray series that measures how much contrast remains in the esophagus after one and five minutes, and sometimes repeat manometry, help separate a tightening sphincter from a failing pump or from reflux damage. The right fix depends on which mechanism is at work, and only the treating team can make that call.

How doctors judge whether a dilation has worked

Feeling better is the point, but clinicians also want objective markers, because symptoms in achalasia can be misleading. Some people adapt so well to a slowly emptying esophagus, eating carefully and drinking with every bite, that they report little trouble while contrast studies show a column of retained fluid.

Three tools dominate follow-up:

• Eckardt score. The symptom tally used in the European trial. Each of four symptoms is rated 0 to 3; a total of 3 or less is the common threshold for success. It is quick, repeatable and lets you track your own trend between visits.
• Timed barium esophagram. You swallow a set volume of contrast and X-rays are taken at intervals. The height and width of the remaining column indicate how well the esophagus empties. Poor emptying after dilation, even with mild symptoms, is associated with earlier relapse in cohort studies.
• High-resolution manometry. Pressure sensors along a thin catheter map sphincter relaxation and classify the achalasia subtype. Post-procedure sphincter pressure is one of the stronger predictors of how long relief will last.

Most services review patients a few weeks after dilation and then at intervals, often yearly, for the first several years. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic both frame achalasia as a condition needing ongoing follow-up rather than one-time treatment, partly because long-standing retained food raises the risk of inflammation and, over decades, a modestly increased risk of esophageal cancer, which is another reason not to ignore creeping symptoms.

If you remember one thing from this section: a good result is defined by swallowing, emptying and pressure together, and the team weighs all three before deciding whether a repeat is warranted.

Who tends to get lasting results, and who is usually steered elsewhere

Pneumatic dilation is not equally durable for everyone, and the predictors are reasonably well established across the long-term series on PubMed and the randomized trial already cited.

Factors associated with longer-lasting relief include age over about 40, female sex, type II achalasia on manometry (where the esophagus still generates pressure across its whole length, which helps emptying once the sphincter opens), and a low sphincter pressure after the procedure. People with a modestly dilated esophagus, rather than a very wide one, also tend to do better.

Factors associated with earlier recurrence include younger age (particularly men under 40, who have thicker sphincter muscle), type III achalasia (spastic contractions in the lower esophagus that a sphincter-only treatment does not address), a very dilated or sigmoid-shaped esophagus, and high residual pressure. For these groups, teams often discuss myotomy-based approaches earlier, not because dilation is unsafe but because the odds of needing repeated sessions are higher.

Who is usually asked to wait or to choose another route? People with an unrepaired large hiatal hernia or a diverticulum (outpouching) near the sphincter, because perforation risk rises. People who cannot be safely treated surgically if a perforation did occur, since emergency repair is the standard rescue. People with a suspected cancer at the junction mimicking achalasia, which must be excluded first. And people with significant bleeding risk or who cannot tolerate sedation safely.

Conversely, dilation is often favored for older adults, for people who prefer to avoid an operation, and as a first-line option where guideline bodies regard it as equivalent in durability to surgery when delivered as a graded program. Cleveland Clinic lists it among standard first treatments. The choice is always individual.

Dilation, myotomy, POEM or injection: how durability compares

People weighing options want a side-by-side view. The table below summarizes what mainstream references and the cited trial describe, in neutral terms. None of these approaches restores peristalsis; all target the sphincter.

Approach	What it does	Typical durability	Main trade-off
Pneumatic dilation (graded)	Balloon tears sphincter muscle fibers	Years; about 82 percent controlled at five years with repeats allowed (Gut 2016)	Perforation risk per session; repeat sessions common
Laparoscopic Heller myotomy	Surgeon cuts sphincter muscle through small incisions, usually with partial fundoplication (a wrap to limit reflux)	Years; about 84 percent at five years in the same trial	General anesthesia, surgical recovery, some reflux
Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)	Endoscopist tunnels inside the esophageal wall and cuts the muscle from within	Years in published series; longer-term data still maturing	Higher rates of acid reflux reported than after myotomy with wrap
Botulinum toxin injection	Temporarily paralyzes sphincter muscle	Months rather than years; repeat injections needed (Mayo Clinic)	Short-lived; may make later surgery technically harder
Oral muscle relaxant classes	Transiently lower sphincter pressure	Hours per dose; symptom relief modest	Side effects such as headache and low blood pressure

Several points deserve emphasis. The randomized comparison between dilation and myotomy found them comparable out to five years, which is why both appear as first-line choices in major references. POEM is newer, and its reflux burden is the main reason clinicians weigh it carefully against the alternatives. Injections and oral medicines are generally reserved for people who cannot have, or are waiting for, a definitive procedure; any decision about medicines rests with the prescribing clinician. No table can tell you which column is yours; it can only frame the conversation.

Esophageal dilation recovery time: the first days and weeks

Recovery from pneumatic dilation is usually brief, but the sensations can be surprising if nobody has described them. Expect a dull, deep chest ache for the rest of the day and sometimes into the next, similar to a bruise. A sore throat from the endoscope is common. Mild shoulder-tip or back discomfort can occur. Most people describe the discomfort as settling within 24 to 48 hours, and significant pain beyond that warrants a call, as covered later.

Eating typically restarts the same day, beginning with clear liquids once you are fully awake, then progressing to soft foods over the next day or two as advised by your team. Many centers suggest a soft diet for several days while the stretched tissue settles. Because sedation impairs judgment and reaction time, you will be asked to have someone take you home and to avoid driving, alcohol and signing important documents for the rest of the day.

How long does it take the esophagus to heal after dilation? The surface lining heals within days; the torn muscle layer remodels over weeks. There is no fixed figure in the major references, and clinicians generally advise treating the first one to two weeks as a settling period, with swallowing improving during that window rather than being perfect on day one.

Many people notice the difference quickly: liquids pass without the familiar pause, and the nighttime regurgitation that disturbed sleep eases. Others improve more gradually. Weight that was lost before treatment often returns over the following months once eating becomes less effortful. A follow-up visit at a few weeks, sometimes with a barium study, is the usual checkpoint for deciding whether this session has done its job or whether a larger balloon should be considered.

What not to do after esophageal dilation

Most post-procedure advice is about protecting a freshly stretched sphincter and recognizing trouble early. Instructions vary by center, so your written discharge sheet overrides anything here, but the common themes are consistent.

• Do not eat large, dry or tough foods in the first days. Steak, crusty bread and raw vegetables are the classic culprits for lodging in a slow esophagus. Soft, moist foods and small bites are kinder while tissue settles.
• Do not lie flat soon after eating. With a looser sphincter, stomach contents can travel upward more easily. Staying upright for a couple of hours after meals and raising the head of the bed are simple reflux measures that Cleveland Clinic and other references describe for achalasia generally.
• Do not ignore escalating chest pain, fever or breathlessness. These are the warning signs of perforation, and they tend to appear within the first hours. Mild soreness is expected; worsening pain is not.
• Do not drive, operate machinery or drink alcohol the same day. This is about sedation, not the esophagus.
• Do not start, stop or adjust any prescribed medicine on your own. Blood thinners in particular are often paused and restarted on a schedule set by the prescribing clinician; follow that plan exactly.
• Do not assume one procedure settles everything. Skipping follow-up is the most common way a tightening sphincter goes unnoticed until a food bolus becomes stuck.

One more habit worth keeping even when you feel well: eat slowly, chew thoroughly and keep water with meals. These were coping strategies before treatment; afterward they become sensible maintenance for an esophagus that still lacks normal peristalsis.

Repeat esophageal dilation: how many times can you have it?

There is no fixed ceiling in guidelines on how many times a person can undergo esophageal dilation. The decision is clinical, made each time by weighing the likely benefit against cumulative risk and against the alternatives.

In practice, the pattern looks like this. A graded first course may involve one to three sessions with increasing balloon size over weeks to months; this is how the European trial delivered treatment and it is counted as a single “course”. If symptoms return after a good initial response, a further dilation is a reasonable option, and many people get another period of years from it. Long-term cohort data indexed on PubMed suggest that each successive recurrence tends to arrive a little sooner than the last, which is one reason teams begin discussing myotomy or POEM once a person has needed several repeats within a few years.

What limits repeats is not the number itself but what the repeats reveal. If barium studies show a very dilated, sigmoid-shaped esophagus that empties poorly even with an open sphincter, further stretching of the sphincter has little to offer. If repeat manometry shows persistently high pressure despite the largest balloon, the muscle may simply be too thick or scarred to yield, and a cutting procedure is more logical. And if a dilation has ever been complicated by perforation, the risk calculus for the next one changes.

Conversely, an older adult who responds well each time and prefers to avoid surgery may continue with occasional dilations for many years; this is a recognized and legitimate strategy. The question to bring to your team is not “how many am I allowed” but “what would make you recommend something different next time”.

Does achalasia get progressively worse?

Left untreated, yes, in most people. The nerve damage underlying achalasia is generally progressive, and the esophagus responds to years of retained food by stretching. Early in the disease the esophagus may look nearly normal in diameter; after a decade or more of obstruction it can become very wide and tortuous, the “sigmoid” or end-stage pattern. At that point even a perfectly opened sphincter helps less, because the pump above it has lost both contraction and shape.

With treatment the picture is more encouraging. Opening the sphincter removes the pressure load that drives dilation, and many people treated early maintain a reasonable esophageal diameter for years. This is one of the strongest arguments the major references make for not delaying treatment once the diagnosis is secure, and for staying in follow-up so that recurrence is caught while the esophagus still has reserve.

Two other long-term issues are worth naming without alarm. First, chronic retention of food is associated with a modestly increased risk of esophageal squamous cell cancer over decades, as Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins note; the absolute risk remains low, and surveillance practices vary. Second, treatments that loosen the sphincter can allow acid reflux, which over time may cause inflammation or a stricture. Your team may suggest periodic endoscopy to monitor both.

So the honest answer is: the disease tends to progress, treatment slows the consequences without stopping the underlying process, and good follow-up is what converts a progressive condition into a manageable one. Achalasia is a lifelong diagnosis, but for most people it is a diagnosis they live with rather than one that dominates their lives.

Risks worth understanding, and how they shape how long relief lasts

The defining risk of pneumatic dilation is perforation, a tear through the full thickness of the esophageal wall. In the European trial it occurred in about 4 percent of people in the dilation arm, and the trial protocol was changed partway through to avoid starting with the largest balloon because of early perforations (NEJM 2011). Pooled figures in reviews on PubMed generally sit around 2 percent per session, with a range depending on balloon size and operator experience. Most perforations are recognized the same day and managed with observation, a stent or surgical repair.

Why does this matter for durability? Because the same force that produces a lasting tear in the muscle is the force that risks tearing too far. The graded approach exists to balance those two outcomes: smaller balloons first, bigger only if needed. A gentler dilation is safer but more likely to need repeating; a more aggressive one lasts longer but carries more risk. Your endoscopist is making that trade-off deliberately, and it is reasonable to ask how they approach it.

Other risks are less dramatic. Bleeding is usually minor. Chest pain is expected but occasionally prolonged. Aspiration, where retained esophageal contents enter the lungs during sedation, is the reason for strict fasting instructions in achalasia. And gastroesophageal reflux after dilation is common enough that some people need acid-suppressing treatment; whether and how to manage that is a decision for the treating clinician, not a reason to avoid the procedure.

The NHS summarizes the balance in a sentence: dilation works well for many people but carries a small risk of perforation and may need repeating. That is a fair and complete description of what you are agreeing to.

What people often get wrong about how long achalasia dilation lasts

Misunderstandings cluster around a few themes, and correcting them changes how people experience the years after treatment.

“If it comes back, the procedure failed.” Recurrence is the expected natural history of a chronic disease, not a verdict on the first dilation. The five-year figures from the European trial already include people who had repeats. A sphincter that stayed open for three or four years delivered exactly what the evidence predicted.

“Surgery is permanent; dilation is temporary.” The randomized comparison found similar five-year control for both, and myotomy also has a recurrence rate that rises with time. Neither restores peristalsis. The difference lies in how recurrence is managed, not in whether it happens.

“One stretch should be enough.” Graded dilation is designed as a short series. Needing a second, larger balloon within the first months is part of the protocol, not a complication.

“Swallowing feels fine, so I can skip follow-up.” Symptoms correlate poorly with emptying in achalasia. People adapt. Barium studies catch silent retention that symptoms miss.

“Dilation for achalasia is the same as dilation for a stricture.” It is not. Stricture dilation stretches scar gently with small bougies or balloons; pneumatic dilation uses a much larger balloon at higher pressure with the explicit goal of tearing muscle. Durability data from one do not apply to the other.

“Younger people should always have surgery.” Younger age predicts earlier recurrence after dilation, which shifts the discussion, but it does not make dilation wrong. Preference, anesthetic fitness and local expertise all matter, and the choice sits with the person and their team.

Questions to ask your care team

A good consultation leaves you with a plan for both the likely outcome and the less likely one. These questions tend to produce the most useful answers.

• Which achalasia subtype do I have on manometry, and how does that affect how long dilation is likely to last for me?
• How dilated is my esophagus on the barium study, and does that change which treatment you would suggest?
• Will this be a graded series of dilations, and how will you decide whether I need the next size?
• What is your approach to balancing balloon size against perforation risk?
• How will you check that the dilation has worked: symptoms alone, a barium study, repeat manometry?
• How often will you want to see me afterward, and for how many years?
• If symptoms return, what would make you repeat the dilation versus recommend myotomy or POEM?
• What signs after the procedure mean I should call the same day?
• How should my regular medicines, especially blood thinners, be handled around the procedure? (Follow only the prescribing clinician’s instructions.)
• What should I do if food becomes stuck at home?
• Will you monitor me for reflux or long-term changes in the esophagus, and how?

Writing the answers down matters more than it sounds. Achalasia is uncommon, and over the years you may see different clinicians; a clear record of your subtype, balloon sizes used, and barium results lets each one pick up the thread. Bring a trusted person to the appointment if you can; sedation discussions and probability figures are easier to absorb with a second set of ears. And if any answer feels rushed, ask for it to be written into your clinic letter. Every decision here is shared, and it is yours to understand.

When to call your doctor

Most people recover from pneumatic dilation with nothing more than a day of chest soreness. The complications that matter declare themselves early and clearly, and the right response is to contact your care team or emergency services promptly rather than to wait and see.

Seek urgent care the same day if you develop:

• Chest pain that worsens rather than settles, or pain spreading to the back, neck or shoulder
• Fever or chills in the hours or days after the procedure
• Shortness of breath, rapid breathing or pain on breathing in
• A crackling sensation under the skin of the neck or chest, or sudden neck swelling
• Vomiting blood, or black, tarry stools
• Inability to swallow your own saliva

These can indicate perforation or bleeding, both of which are treatable and far better managed within hours than days.

Contact your team within a day or two, without panic, if you notice: food repeatedly sticking after an initial good result; return of nighttime regurgitation or coughing; new or persistent heartburn; unintended weight loss; or a sense that swallowing is drifting back toward how it felt before treatment. None of these is an emergency, but each is information your team will want in order to time a barium study or discuss the next step.

In the longer term, keep scheduled follow-up even when you feel well, and report any change in swallowing between visits. Achalasia is a condition in which the people who do best are the ones who stay in contact with their specialists, because recurrence caught early is simpler to manage than recurrence that has had years to stretch the esophagus. Your treating team, who know your anatomy and your history, remain the right people to interpret every symptom described here.

Frequently asked questions

How long does achalasia dilation last on average?

Relief usually lasts years rather than months, but it is not permanent. Randomized follow-up found roughly 82 percent of people still well at five years when repeat dilations were allowed, and Mayo Clinic notes about one-third need a repeat within five years. Your subtype, age and post-procedure sphincter pressure shift those odds, so ask your team how the averages apply to you.

How many times can you have an esophageal dilation for achalasia?

There is no fixed limit in guidelines. A first course often involves one to three graded sessions, and further dilations are reasonable when symptoms return after a good response. Teams usually suggest a different approach, such as myotomy or POEM, when repeats are needed increasingly often, when the esophagus has become very dilated, or when pressure stays high despite the largest balloon.

Does achalasia get progressively worse even after treatment?

The underlying nerve damage tends to progress, and untreated achalasia leads to a steadily widening esophagus. Treatment that opens the sphincter removes much of the pressure driving that change, so many people maintain reasonable function for years. Ongoing follow-up matters because recurrence, reflux damage and, over decades, a small increased cancer risk are all easier to manage when detected early.

What is the esophageal dilation recovery time?

Most people go home the same day and feel a dull chest ache for 24 to 48 hours, with a sore throat from the endoscope. Liquids typically restart the same day and soft foods over the following day or two, per your team’s instructions. Swallowing often improves within days, and clinicians generally treat the first one to two weeks as a settling period before judging the result.

What should you not do after esophageal dilation?

Avoid large, dry or tough foods for the first days, lying flat soon after meals, and driving or alcohol on the day of sedation. Do not change any prescribed medicine, especially blood thinners, except as directed by the prescribing clinician. Most importantly, do not ignore worsening chest pain, fever or breathlessness, which can signal perforation and need same-day assessment.

How long does it take for the esophagus to heal after dilation?

The surface lining heals within days, while the torn muscle fibers of the sphincter remodel over several weeks. Major references do not give a precise figure, so clinicians usually advise a soft diet for a few days and a cautious approach for one to two weeks. Persistent or worsening pain beyond the first two days should be reported rather than waited out.

Is pneumatic dilation for achalasia as durable as surgery?

In the only large randomized comparison, graded pneumatic dilation and laparoscopic Heller myotomy produced similar symptom control at two and five years (86 versus 90 percent, then 82 versus 84 percent). The dilation strategy included repeat sessions when needed. Neither approach restores peristalsis, and both can see recurrence over longer periods, so the choice rests on individual factors discussed with your team.

Why did my swallowing problems come back after a successful dilation?

Several mechanisms are possible: scar tightening of the torn sphincter, ongoing disease causing the esophagus itself to dilate and empty poorly, or reflux-related inflammation or stricture from a looser sphincter. Each needs a different response, which is why specialists usually arrange a barium study and sometimes manometry before deciding whether to repeat the dilation or recommend another treatment.

Who is a poor candidate for repeat esophageal dilation?

People whose esophagus has become very wide or sigmoid-shaped often gain little from further sphincter stretching, as do those with persistently high pressure despite the largest balloon. A previous perforation, a large hiatal hernia or a diverticulum near the sphincter raises risk. In these situations teams more often discuss myotomy, POEM or, for people unfit for procedures, temporary options such as botulinum toxin injection.

Is dilation for achalasia the same as dilation for a stricture?

No. Stricture dilation gently stretches scar tissue with small instruments and carries low perforation risk. Pneumatic dilation for achalasia uses a much larger balloon at higher pressure with the deliberate aim of tearing sphincter muscle, which is why it lasts longer but carries a higher, though still small, perforation risk. Durability figures from one procedure do not apply to the other.

References

• NHS: Achalasia
• MedlinePlus: Achalasia

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.