Riley County Police Department

Retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction is a medical condition first identified by gastroenterologist Dr. Peter Kahrilas in 1987. However, the condition began to receive significant attention only following a 2019 report by ENT surgeon Dr. Robert Bastian that described a very high rate of symptomatic relief from injection of botulinum toxin into the cricopharyngeus muscle. Awareness of the condition has spread predominantly among patients themselves, rather than the medical community, via forums and social media. Awareness of the condition amongst primary care physicians and specialists remains low and patients report needing to employ online research to find specialists who are familiar with and can treat the condition.