173. Dysphagia and Achalasia

In this episode, Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Simon Turner discusses Dysphagia and Achalasia. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common presenting complaint to both primary care physicians and surgeons. Patients may mean several different things when they complain of trouble swallowing, and accordingly the differential diagnosis is large and includes both benign and malignant causes. For these reasons its important to have an organized approach to working up a patient with swallowing complaints that can help to efficiently focus investigations and treatment. This podcast will focus on the surgically treated causes of dysphagia and will discuss in depth one of the more common causes, a disease called achalasia. The objectives include the: Surgically treated causes of dysphagia Achalasia