A 61-year-old man suffering from a rare swallowing disorder was recently treated at Gleneagles Hospital in Parel. The patient, who had suffered from serious swallowing difficulties for two years, found relief thanks to an innovative therapeutic approach.

Dr Megraj Ingle, director and senior consultant in gastroenterology who treated Mumbai resident Suhas R Mungaker, said Mungaker had hiccups while eating, which he initially thought was a problem everyone experiences .

“Over time, I started to feel a feeling of nausea and like food was stuck in my throat. To alleviate this, I would drink water and then try to eat again after a brief break. Eventually, these problems seemed to subside for a while. However, later I started having heartburn after meals, especially during the summer months,” Mungaker said.

Mungaker began taking antacids and other medications to manage the discomfort. His wife consulted the family doctor about her ongoing problems with antacids, prompting him to recommend that she see Dr. Ingle for further evaluation.

Having difficulty eating, Mungaker also lost weight and began experiencing chest pains.

“Diagnostic tests were carried out and revealed the presence of a rare condition known as Achalasia (in which the esophagus is unable to move food and liquids down into the stomach). The endoscopy showed that there were three or four blockages in his esophagus. There was a narrowing of the esophagus near the stomach. Every time he ate, the food would get stuck in his throat, and even drinking water afterwards wouldn’t help because it would also get stuck. He often ended up throwing up the food,” Dr. Ingle said.

Endoscopy revealed a structure resembling a bird’s beak. This is a rare condition due to the inability of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax.

Dr. Ingle conducted a procedure in which, via an endoscope, a tunnel was created between the layers of the esophagus wall and the lower esophagus muscle was cut. “It’s a minimally invasive procedure. Recovery is fast, the day the patient was discharged he was swallowing food properly,” he said.

“It was petrifying for me when, two years ago, I had hiccups during meals. It became extremely difficult for me to eat because I was diagnosed with a rare swallowing disorder that was unknown to me. However, I will be forever indebted to Dr. Ingle and his team for their timely intervention. I can now eat my favorite food without any difficulty,” Mungaker said.