Achalasia Treatment in India

Pooja Miller, a 42-year-old high school...

Pooja Miller, a 42-year-old high school biology teacher and mother of two, had been struggling for over a year. Mealtimes, once a joyful family gathering, became a source of dread. She experienced a persistent feeling of food getting stuck in her chest, painful regurgitation of undigested food hours after eating, and significant weight loss. Her chronic cough at night was initially misdiagnosed as reflux. After a barium swallow and esophageal manometry confirmed achalasia, her cardiologist, Dr. Evans, explained that her lower esophageal sphincter failed to relax. He recommended a Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM), a minimally invasive procedure to cut the tight muscle. The procedure itself was under general anesthesia. Waking up, Pooja felt sore but hopeful. Recovery involved a liquid diet progressing to soft foods over several weeks. Six months later, she can eat a normal meal with her family without pain or fear. Emotionally, she journeyed from frustration and isolation, feeling broken by a basic human function, to profound relief and gratitude, reclaiming her joy in cooking and social dining.