Body system: Digestive SystemRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.114DBQ: DBQ GI Esophageal Disorders
Esophageal stricture is when scar tissue narrows your esophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach), making swallowing difficult or painful. The VA rates this condition from 0% to 80% based on how severe your swallowing problems are and what treatments you need. Higher ratings go to veterans who need feeding tubes, surgery, or frequent procedures to stretch the esophagus open, while lower ratings cover those who manage with daily medications.
Rating levels
- 80% — You must have a documented medical history of esophageal stricture (narrowing of the tube that connects your throat to your stomach) that keeps coming back or doesn't respond well to treatment, and this narrowing makes it difficult for you to swallow food or liquids. Additionally, you must experience at least one of these serious complications: accidentally inhaling food or liquid into your lungs, being malnourished, or losing a significant amount of weight, and your condition must be severe enough that doctors had to either perform surgery to fix it or insert a feeding tube directly into your stomach.
- 50% — You must have a documented medical history of esophageal stricture (narrowing of the food tube) that keeps coming back or doesn't respond well to treatment, and this narrowing causes dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). To qualify, you need one of these treatments: having your esophagus stretched open 3 or more times per year, having it stretched with steroids at least once yearly, or having a stent (tube-like device) placed in your esophagus to keep it open.
- 30% — You have a documented medical history of your esophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach) narrowing repeatedly, which causes dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). This swallowing problem is serious enough that you need a medical procedure called dilatation (where doctors stretch open the narrowed area) up to twice per year to help you swallow properly.
- 10% — You have a documented medical history of esophageal stricture (narrowing of the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach) and you need to take daily medication to control dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). Other than needing daily medication for swallowing problems, you don't have any other symptoms from this condition.
- 0% — You have medical records showing you've had a stricture of the esophagus (narrowing of the tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach) in the past, but you don't experience symptoms from it every day and don't need to take medications daily to manage it. Your condition is documented in your medical history but isn't currently causing significant ongoing problems that require daily treatment.