A disorder affecting the coordinated muscle contractions that move food through the esophagus to the stomach.
Because this condition is rated under the stricture formula, your records need to document the history of your esophageal motility disorder and show how it affects swallowing. Imaging or procedural records are required — specifically a barium swallow study, CT scan, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) report confirming the diagnosis and any structural findings.
For higher ratings, treatment records matter most. Procedure logs showing how many dilatations were performed in a year, records of steroid-assisted dilatations, or documentation of stent placement, surgical correction, or PEG tube placement directly correspond to specific rating levels. Records defining a stricture as recurrent or refractory — meaning target diameter could not be maintained beyond four weeks, or could not be achieved after at least five dilatation sessions at two-week intervals — support the 30%, 50%, and 80% levels.
For the 80% rating, records showing aspiration events, lab or nutritional assessments reflecting undernutrition, or weight measurements demonstrating substantial weight loss under § 4.112(a) are relevant. Statements from you describing how difficulty swallowing affects eating, nutrition, and daily activities can help show the overall severity of your symptoms.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
