Hi Jimbo, Our interventional radiologist told me that the best way to keep the esophagus open is to put in a stent. But it may cause a lot of discomfort for the patient in the form of a choking sensation. The best way is to dilate the esophagus every few weeks until it is all healed up inside. Every time a dilatation is performed, it inevitably cause tearing in the mucosa. When healing happens, the esophagus may narrow a bit, that's when another dilatation is needed. It does seem to be a long process. But the time between dilatations will slowly become longer as more healing takes place. In the meantime, using the strategies your SLP gives you will help you avoid aspiration. Did your SLP give you speech strategies or swallowing strategies?

Why don't you discuss with your doctor to see if you are candidate for a stent? Hope this helps.