Indication

When the lower esophageal sphincter doesn't function properly, acid and food can reflux up from the stomach into the esophagus. This can lead to pain (heartburn) and damage to the lower esophagus. Over time, this damage can sometimes produce strictures (narrowing) of the esophagus and may even lead to cancer of the esophagus. Frequently, dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter is associated with a hiatal hernia, in which the upper part of the stomach slips up into the chest.

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Review Date: 12/20/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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