Afflicted with rare disorder, woman eats her favorite meal after 6 months following surgery

Dr Patil, Bariatric, Hernia, and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, told The Indian Express: “This rare disorder damages nerves in the esophagus. This condition is seen in 1 in one lakh individuals, and often in young women where there is a progressive difficulty with solids and liquids due to the neuromuscular incoordination.

An endoscopy followed by barium swallow and manometry investigations were performed on Nina. She was fed through parenteral nutrition following which she underwent a surgical procedure known as Laparoscopic Heller’s Cardiomyotomy with Toupet fundoplication.

“The advantage of performing this surgery is that the food pipe size is enlarged at the site of narrowing and an added procedure to prevent acid reflux is done. The surgery was challenging as the body habitus had become thin, almost the size of an adolescent child, so there was less space to operate inside the body. We could do the surgery laparoscopically, there was very minimal pain and the patient was ambulated the next day, started on a liquid diet and discharged on day 2 post-surgery,” Dr Patil said.

Elaborating on the surgery, he said, “The surgery lasted for two hours. Laparoscopic surgery has a distinct advantage in areas where the field to operate is narrow. Due to magnification with laparoscope, one can have good vision and perform the surgery more effectively.”

The patient was advised liquid diet followed by solids over three-four days after discharge.

Dr Patil said not treating her at the right time could have led to severe malnourishment and secondary infections.

In a statement, Nina said, “I was in a rude shock when I was diagnosed with this rare condition. I was unable to eat even a single morsel of food or drink anything due to a swallowing problem. I looked pale and malnourished. I also lost a lot of weight. I was getting anxious, stressed, and losing hope. I was unable to perform my daily chores with ease. After six months, I have had a full meal.”