Hi @anissa06, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! It must be a relief to have this procedure in your rearview mirror, but now frustrating not to be able to eat how expected.

I have not had this procedure but plenty others. I think surgeons have the perspective of when risks from surgery are over vs patients having a perspective of when the discomfort will end. I have read that after an esophagus dilation procedure you shouldn’t go back to normal eating and drinking until anesthetic has fully worn off. I wonder if this is what you GI doctor was thinking we he said you could return to your normal diet after 24 hours. “Because the anesthetic inhibits normal swallowing functions, fluids should be withheld until the anesthetic has worn off. This is to keep liquid from going into your lungs instead of your stomach.”

It goes on to say “You will likely also have a mild sore throat for several days after the procedure.” Uhg!

Are you able to swallow, able to drink or eat soft food?