How do I get ready for an esophageal stent procedure?

Talk with your healthcare provider about what you should do to get ready. You may have to stop eating and drinking the night before your procedure. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions about what medicines to take or not take beforehand. Don’t stop taking any medicine unless he or she tells you to do so. Plan to have someone available to drive you home afterward.

Tell your healthcare provider about the following:

Any allergies or past problems with anesthesia

Any new health problems, like a recent fever

If you are pregnant or might be pregnant

All medicines you take including prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines and supplements

Your healthcare provider might order some tests before your procedure. These might include a barium swallow test. It can give more information about the anatomy of your esophagus. Just before the procedure, you may receive an IV. It can deliver medicine to you during the procedure.