Bougienage is effective therapy for most benign esophageal strictures

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Abstract
Esophageal stricture is the most frequent serious complication of reflux esophagitis. Bougienage was used as the primary therapy of benign esophageal stricture in 92 patients, followed by institution of a medical antireflux program. Response to treatment was excellent, and 78% of patients required two or fewer subsequent dilations. Twenty patients were followed up for two years or longer, and 75% did not require more than one dilation annually. Primary therapy for most patients with peptic stenosis of the esophagus is recommended to be dilation; operative therapy should be reserved for those patients in whom a malignant neoplasm is suspected or those in whom frequent and rapid stricture recurrence makes medical therapy impractical. (JAMA240:844-847, 1978)