ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the long-term efficacy and complications of peroral endoscopic circular myotomy and full-thickness myotomy for patients with achalasia of cardia. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 53 patients with achalasia of cardia, who underwent peroral endoscopic myotomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2012 to December 2014 and were followed-up regularly.Twenty-one patients underwent circular myotomy, and the other 32 patients underwent full-thickness myotomy. The postoperative long-term efficacy and gastroesophageal reflux complications of the two groups were compared. Results The effective rate of the circular myotomy group and the full-thickness myotomy group was 90. 5%( 19/21) and 100. 0%( 32/32), respectively ( P＝ 0. 152). There were no significant differences between the two groups on postoperative Eckardt scores, lower esophageal sphincter pressure and 4 s integrated relaxation pressure ( P ＞ 0. 05 ). The incidence of clinically relevant gastroesophageal reflux of full-thickness myotomy group was higher than that of circular myotomy group (40. 6% VS 14. 3%, χ2＝4. 174, P＝0. 041). Conclusion The long-term efficacy of circular myotomy is similar to that of full-thickness myotomy, but the incidence of clinically relevant gastroesophageal reflux is higher in full-thickness myotomy.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To compare long-term occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) between two different types of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia. METHODS: We included all patients with achalasia who underwent POEM at our hospital from August 2011 to October 2012 and had complete GERD evaluation with ≥ 3 years of follow-up. They were divided into circular or full-thickness myotomy groups according to the depth of myotomy. Demographics, Eckardt score, manometry results, 24-h pH monitoring, and GERD symptoms were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: We studied 56 patients (32 circular myotomy and 24 full-thickness myotomy) with complete GERD evaluation. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of treatment success (defined as Eckardt score ≤ 3), postoperative Eckardt score, mean basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure, and 4-s integrated relaxation pressure (4sIRP). Postoperative abnormal esophageal acid exposure was found in 25 patients (44.6%). A total of 13 patients (23.2%) had GERD symptoms and 12 had esophagitis (21.4%). Clinically relevant GERD (abnormal esophageal acid exposure associated with GERD symptoms and/or esophagitis) was diagnosed in 13 patients (23.2%). Multivariate analysis revealed that full-thickness myotomy and low level of postoperative 4sIRP were predictive factors for clinically relevant GERD. CONCLUSION: Efficacy and manometry are comparable between achalasia patients treated with circular or full-thickness myotomy. But patients with full-thickness myotomy and low postoperative 4sIRP have more GERD.
