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Life-Changing Surgery Allows Woman to Eat Again
8 Mar
Summary
- Woman with rare achalasia condition could barely swallow food or water.
- Surgery in August 2025 helped her enjoy pizza and pasta again.
- She now faces delayed pain and specialist consultations for management.
Elise Banyard, a 26-year-old care worker from Dover, faced extreme difficulty eating and drinking due to type one achalasia, a condition narrowing her esophagus. This condition led to frequent vomiting and a drastic weight loss, leaving her at just over six stone.
In August 2025, Elise underwent peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) surgery to alleviate her swallowing issues. This minimally invasive procedure, requiring six weeks of tube feeding before and after, successfully opened her digestive tract.
She has since gained weight and can now enjoy foods like pizza and pasta, though she sometimes experiences delayed pain for up to three days after eating. This pain, particularly with carbohydrate-heavy meals, prompted the development of superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMA) due to her prior weight loss.
Elise is currently consulting specialists in London to manage her SMA and associated pain without further surgery. Despite ongoing challenges, she reports being happier and is pursuing personal and professional development, including learning to drive and studying business administration.
