Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder that leads to dysphagia, chest pain, and weight loss. Its diagnosis is clinically suspected and is confirmed with esophageal manometry. Although pneumatic dilation has a role in the treatment of patients with achalasia, laparoscopic Heller myotomy is considered by many experts as the best treatment modality for most patients with newly diagnosed acha...

HYPOTHESIS Laparoscopic Heller myotomy with anterior fundoplication will alleviate the symptoms of achalasia and result in excellent patient satisfaction. DESIGN Retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy with anterior fundoplication for achalasia between October 1995 and July 1999. A telephone survey assessed symptoms and satisfaction. Patients were...

conclusions our study showed that laparascopic helermyotomy with dor fundoplication result in significant relief of dysphagia. overall clinical symptoms indicate improvement in patient functional status during 18-month follow-up. patients and methods thirty patients who underwent heller myotomy for achalasia via laparoscopy in alzahra hospital isfahan, iran were recorded prospectively (2009 - 2...

We report the laparoscopic resection of an extraesophageal leiomyoma and an epiphrenic traction diverticulum; in addition, myotomy and fundoplication were performed. This has not been reported previously as a laparoscopic combination. No complications were encountered.

HYPOTHESIS There is general agreement that a Heller myotomy should extend 6 to 7 cm above the gastroesophageal junction. Results of most previous studies have recommended that the myotomy extend 1 to 1.5 cm below the gastroesophageal junction. We speculated that the effectiveness of the operation could be improved if a longer, 3-cm myotomy was carried out below the gastroesophageal junction, as...

BACKGROUND Prospective studies comparing laparoscopic to open Heller myotomy for esophageal achalasia are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare functional outcome after laparoscopic and open Heller myotomy for esophageal achalasia. METHODS Eighty-two patients who underwent Heller-Dor myotomy for achalasia, via laparoscopy (n=52) or open surgery (n=30) were recorded prospectively (1993...

The established management of epiphrenic diverticula combines diverticulectomy with myotomy of the distal esophagus including the lower esophageal sphincter. We report a patient with prompt recurrence of an epiphrenic diverticulum after laparoscopic transhiatal diverticulectomy associated with esophagomyotomy and partial posterior fundoplication due to an incomplete myotomy.

achalasia is a primary motor disorder of the esophagus, in which esophageal emptying is impaired. diagnosis of achalasia is based on clinical findings and confirmed by radiologic, endoscopic and manometric evaluations. several treatments for achalasia have been introduced. we searched the pubmed database for original articles and meta-analyses about achalasia to summarize the current knowledge ...

BACKGROUND In the treatment of achalasia, surgery has been traditionally reserved for patients with residual dysphagia after pneumatic dilatation. The results of laparoscopic Heller myotomy have proven to be so good, however, that most experts now consider surgery the primary treatment. HYPOTHESIS The outcome of laparoscopic myotomy and fundoplication for achalasia is dictated by technical fa...

Traditional endoscopic treatment of achalasia consists of endoscopic balloon dilatation with the inconvenience of the recurrence of symptoms and the necessity of repeated sessions. Surgical laparoscopic procedure has been advocated to be more efficient especially in young patients because it sections the lower oesophageal sphincter via a transabdominal approach. The long term most severe compli...