3 McCallum RW, Kline MM, Curry N, Sturdevant RAL. Comparative efforts of metoclopramide and bethanechol on lower esophageal sphincter pressure in reflux patients. Gastroenterology 1975;68:1 114-8. McCallum RW, Berkowitz DM. The frequency of delayed gastric emptying in patients with gastroesophageal reflux and its response to metoclopramide and bethanechol. Gastroenterology 1978 ;74:1135. Gugler...

OBJECTIVE We sought to assess the long-term outcome of Heller myotomy and anterior fundoplication in patients with achalasic sigmoid esophagus. METHODS Fourteen patients with achalasia and sigmoid esophagus (median age, 42.5 years) operated on by the same surgeon through a laparotomy (n = 8) or laparoscopic approach (n = 6) between 1985 and 2000 were evaluated. According to a 4-grade classifi...

TO THE EDITOR: While reporting the complexity behind the interpretation of the manometric trace of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), Bhatia and Shah wrote: “It is a technically demanding procedure due to the anatomy of the UES, as is the movement of the sphincter during swallowing.” We agree with the authors that some of the difficulties are due to the movement of the sphincter during swall...