Esophageal and Swallowing Disorders Program

The Penn Medicine Center for Esophageal and Swallowing Disorders offers a coordinated, comprehensive approach to treat esophageal disorders, including:

• Achalasia: A disorder affecting the ability of the esophagus to move food into the stomach.
• Acid peptic disorders including:
  • Barrett's esophagus: A disorder in which the lining of the esophagus is damaged by stomach acid.
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis: An allergic inflammatory disease comprised of elevated eosinophils in the esophagus despite acid blocking treatments.
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD): A condition that occurs when a muscle at the end of the esophagus does not close properly, allowing stomach contents to leak back — or reflux — into the esophagus and irritate it.
  • H. pylori gastritis: A bacteria found in the stomach that can cause a number of gastrointestinal problems.
  • NSAID ulcers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) irritate and damage the stomach's lining causing ulcers.
  • Hypersecretory states, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (as well as other gastrointestinal endocrine tumor syndromes).
  • Postoperative ulcer syndrome and other rare forms of acid-peptic disease.
• Esophageal cancer: Though relatively uncommon in the United States, esophageal cancer occurs when there is a malignant tumor in the esophagus — the tube that carries food to the stomach.
• Hoarseness: Difficulty producing sound to speak or a change in the pitch or quality of the vocal chords — usually caused by inflammation of the larynx, but sometimes indicating a more serious problem.

Millions of Americans complain of heartburn and acid reflux, or have difficulty swallowing. These mouth, throat or esophagus problems may be caused by:

• Malfunctioning of physical structures
• Damage to the nerves or muscles coordinating swallowing
• Physical obstruction

Left untreated, esophageal and swallowing disorders can lead to serious problems. Early diagnosis and intervention are very important.

The multidisciplinary team at Penn includes:

• Gastroenterologists
• Gastrointestinal surgeons
• Radiologists
• Thoracic surgeons
• Neurologists
• Lung specialists
• Swallowing therapists
• Ear, nose, and throat specialists
• Pathologists

Some esophageal disorders can be precancerous conditions. We work closely with the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania to provide a seamless continuum of care for patients.