This is done to treat esophageal varices. These are abnormal blood vessels in the esophagus. They have thin walls and the blood pressure within them is very high. A burst blood vessel can be deadly.

Possible Complications

Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen, such as:

Infection
Excess bleeding
Painful or difficult swallowing
Damage to the esophagus
Lung injury

Alcohol use disorder may raise the risk of problems.

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

The surgical team may meet with you to talk about:

Anesthesia options
Any allergies you may have
Current medicines, herbs, and supplements that you take and whether you need to stop taking them before the procedure
Fasting before the procedure
Whether you need a ride to and from the procedure

Anesthesia

The doctor may give:

Local anesthesia—the throat will be numbed
IV medicines to help you relax
General anesthesia—you will be asleep

Description of the Procedure

You will lie on your left side. A mouthpiece will be placed to help keep the mouth open. A scope with a small light and camera will be placed in the mouth and passed into the esophagus. Images will display on a monitor. Air will be passed through the scope to help view the esophagus better. Instruments will be passed through the scope. The enlarged tissue will be sucked into the device’s chamber. One or more bands will be placed around the tissue to clamp off the blood supply. The tools and scope will be removed.

How Long Will It Take?

About 1 hour

Will It Hurt?

A sore throat is common in the first few days. It may be painful to swallow.

Post-procedure Care

At the Care Center

The staff will give you medicine to ease pain. You will also be monitored for signs of problems, such as blood loss.

At Home

Recovery takes about a week. The tissue that was banded will be shed. You will have a smaller risk of bleeding from the blood vessels.

Call Your Doctor

Call your doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
Pain that is not eased by medicine
Bleeding from the mouth
Nausea and vomiting
Bloody vomit
Problems swallowing
Coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain
Bloody or dark black stools
Severe belly pain

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.

RESOURCES:

American Gastroenterological Association
http://www.gastro.org

The American College of Gastroenterology
http://patients.gi.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
https://www.cag-acg.org

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

REFERENCES:

Esophageal varices. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/esophageal-varices. Updated November 12, 2014. Accessed May 5, 2020.

Kapoor A, Dharel N, et al. Endoscopic Diagnosis and Therapy in Gastroesophageal Variceal Bleeding. Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2015 Jul;25(3):491-507.

Last reviewed February 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD Last Updated: 5/5/2020

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