BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained in 14 patients with achalasia who underwent laparoscopic Heller's myotomy and Dor's fundoplication with those of 16 patients who had endoscopic dilation. METHODS: The diagnosis of achalasia was confirmed by manometry, endoscopy, and barium swallow. Esophageal symptoms were quantified before and after treatment using a clinical scale. Six patients had had endoscopic dilation prior to surgery. RESULTS: Before treatment, the patients in the surgical group complained of more severe dysphagia (median, 5; range, 0-5 vs median 4; range, 3-5) and chest pain (median, 3; range, 0-5 vs median, 1.5; range, 0-5), but both groups were comparable with respect to regurgitation, heartburn, and manometric results. Both groups achieved significant clinical improvement. The severity score decreased from 5 (range, 0-5) to 1 (range, 0-3) (p < 0.05) for dysphagia to solids in the laparoscopic group and from 4 (range, 3-5) to 1 (range, 0-5) (p < 0.05) in the endoscopic group. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure decreased significantly in both groups (from 29.3 to 11.8 mmHg in the laparoscopic group and from 28.9 to 16.5 mmHg in the endoscopic group). After treatment, there were no significant clinical differences between the two groups. Two patients in the surgical group were converted to open surgery. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic myotomy is as save and effective as endoscopic dilation in the treatment of achalasia.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained in 14 patients with achalasia who underwent laparoscopic Heller's myotomy and Dor's fundoplication with those of 16 patients who had endoscopic dilation. METHODS: The diagnosis of achalasia was confirmed by manometry, endoscopy, and barium swallow. Esophageal symptoms were quantified before and after treatment using a clinical scale. Six patients had had endoscopic dilation prior to surgery. RESULTS: Before treatment, the patients in the surgical group complained of more severe dysphagia (median, 5; range, 0-5 vs median 4; range, 3-5) and chest pain (median, 3; range, 0-5 vs median, 1.5; range, 0-5), but both groups were comparable with respect to regurgitation, heartburn, and manometric results. Both groups achieved significant clinical improvement. The severity score decreased from 5 (range, 0-5) to 1 (range, 0-3) (p < 0.05) for dysphagia to solids in the laparoscopic group and from 4 (range, 3-5) to 1 (range, 0-5) (p < 0.05) in the endoscopic group. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure decreased significantly in both groups (from 29.3 to 11.8 mmHg in the laparoscopic group and from 28.9 to 16.5 mmHg in the endoscopic group). After treatment, there were no significant clinical differences between the two groups. Two patients in the surgical group were converted to open surgery. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic myotomy is as save and effective as endoscopic dilation in the treatment of achalasia.
Authors: Christian Alexander Gutschow; Ulrich Töx; Jessica Leers; Hartmut Schäfer; Klaus Ludwig Prenzel; Arnulf H Hölscher Journal: Langenbecks Arch Surg Date: 2010-09-16 Impact factor: 3.445
Authors: Jocelyn de Heer; Madhav Desai; Guy Boeckxstaens; Giovanni Zaninotto; Karl-Hermann Fuchs; Prateek Sharma; Guido Schachschal; Oliver Mann; Thomas Rösch; Yuki Werner Journal: Surg Endosc Date: 2020-03-16 Impact factor: 4.584