Procedure — If you have balloon dilation, you will be asked to drink only liquids for 12 hours to two days in advance (a longer period is recommended if you have a great deal of food retention in the esophagus). Using endoscopy and fluoroscopy (x-ray), a physician advances a guide wire down the esophagus and positions it inside the LES. A deflated balloon is then advanced along this guide wire, positioned inside the LES, and inflated for a variable period ranging from seconds to minutes. The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn, and you are monitored in a recovery area for a number of hours to detect any complications. After the balloon dilation, some physicians routinely perform an x-ray test similar to the barium swallow described above to make sure that the balloon has not created a hole (perforation) in the esophagus. If there are no complications, you can usually resume eating when you have recovered from the procedure. If your day-to-day symptoms do not improve, additional dilations can be performed.